Bringing Semiconductor Education Closer to Industry

Learning about semiconductor technology in a classroom is one thing.

Seeing how that knowledge is applied inside the industry is another.

On 4 March 2025, MAHANAKORN signed a collaboration agreement with UTAC, a semiconductor company with more than 40 years of industry experience, to support talent development and strengthen connections between higher education and Thailand’s semiconductor sector.

The collaboration focuses on creating opportunities for students and industry professionals to develop skills through practical experience, research and direct engagement with the semiconductor industry.

From Classroom Knowledge to Industry Experience

A semiconductor career can involve far more than understanding electronic circuits.

Students also need to learn how technologies are developed, tested and applied within complex industrial environments.

The MAHANAKORN–UTAC collaboration includes opportunities through:

These experiences can help students connect what they study with the expectations and working processes of a real technology company.

That connection becomes especially important in industries where technology changes quickly and universities need to keep pace with evolving skills and technical requirements.

Building Skills Around Real Technology

MAHANAKORN’s wider semiconductor initiative includes training in areas such as IC design, PCB and PCBA design, microelectronics and intelligent electronic systems, alongside laboratory development and partnerships with technology companies including UTAC.

Industry collaboration adds another layer to that learning.

A student may understand how a circuit works in theory.

An industry environment introduces different questions.

Can it be manufactured reliably?

How is quality controlled?

How can a process be improved?

How does one component fit into a much larger production system?

These are the kinds of questions that begin connecting engineering knowledge with professional practice.

Developing People Alongside Technology

Thailand’s semiconductor ambitions depend not only on attracting companies and investment, but also on developing enough people with the technical skills required by the sector.

MAHANAKORN’s semiconductor development strategy therefore combines education, laboratory training, research and industry partnerships, with UTAC identified as one of the companies supporting training and career opportunities.

The collaboration also creates opportunities for knowledge exchange and specialised research that could contribute to future innovation within Thailand’s semiconductor ecosystem.

For students, this makes the industry feel less distant.

The pathway from university to semiconductor technology can begin with a course, continue through a laboratory or project, and eventually move into an internship, research role or career inside the industry.

Where Could You Take It Next?

Students interested in semiconductors, electronics and advanced manufacturing can begin building relevant foundations through:

Communication & Electronics Engineering
Develop knowledge in electronic circuits, communication systems and technologies connected with semiconductor devices and advanced electronics.

Explore Communication & Electronics Engineering →

Computer & AI Engineering
Build foundations in computing, artificial intelligence and intelligent systems increasingly connected with semiconductor-enabled technologies.

Explore Computer & AI Engineering →

Process & Industrial Engineering
Explore production systems, process optimisation and industrial technologies relevant to complex manufacturing environments.

Explore Process & Industrial Engineering →

Master of Electrical & Electronics Engineering
Take electronic and electrical engineering further through advanced study connected with modern technology and research.

Explore Master of Electrical & Electronics Engineering →

Postgraduate Research
Explore advanced research pathways in engineering and technology.

Explore Postgraduate Research →

The strongest link between university and industry is not a partnership on paper. It is the experience students gain from working with the technologies and people behind the industry.

Building the Factory of the Future

Modern automotive manufacturing is becoming increasingly connected.

Vehicles are more intelligent.

Factories are more automated.

Production systems depend on data, sensors and software.

And engineers are expected to understand how physical machines and digital systems work together.

On 15 November 2024, MAHANAKORN announced an academic collaboration with Chongqing Jiaotong University in China focused on innovation in the automotive industry and modern manufacturing systems.

The partnership places particular emphasis on smart technology, automation and the Internet of Things (IoT), with the aim of supporting industrial development in both Thailand and China.

From Student Exchange to Joint Research

The collaboration is designed to operate across both education and research.

It includes:

This gives students and faculty opportunities to learn from a different engineering environment while working on challenges that are increasingly shared across countries.

A modern factory in Thailand and a modern factory in China may operate in different markets, but many of the underlying technologies are similar.

Automation.

Data.

AI.

Connected machines.

And increasingly intelligent production systems.

Where AI Meets Manufacturing

The cooperation also covers research and practical training in manufacturing technology, data analytics and the application of artificial intelligence within production systems.

That combination reflects how industrial engineering is changing.

In a traditional manufacturing environment, machines may operate independently.

In a smart factory, systems can generate data continuously.

Sensors can monitor equipment.

Software can analyse production performance.

AI can help identify patterns or support decision-making.

Automation can connect multiple stages of production into a more coordinated system.

For students, this means manufacturing is becoming as much a digital challenge as a mechanical one.

Automotive Engineering Is Becoming More Connected

The automotive industry is changing at the same time.

Modern vehicles increasingly combine:

This makes automotive innovation naturally interdisciplinary.

A mechanical engineer may work alongside electronics engineers, software developers and manufacturing specialists.

A production engineer may need to understand both physical processes and digital information.

And a factory designed for future vehicles may look very different from one built for the automotive industry of the past.

MAHANAKORN’s wider engineering activities also include development in electric vehicles, intelligent drive systems, automation and motorsport engineering, reinforcing the connection between future mobility and advanced manufacturing.

Learning Across Thailand and China

International collaboration adds another dimension to that learning.

Working with Chongqing Jiaotong University creates opportunities for students and researchers to experience different approaches to engineering, manufacturing and technology development.

The agreement also creates a platform for both universities to develop workshops and research projects together, particularly in technologies linked with Industry 4.0.

For students, the value is not simply travelling to another university.

It is learning how engineering problems are approached in another industrial environment — and understanding that future technology careers increasingly operate across borders.

Where Could You Take It Next?

Students interested in automotive technology, automation and smart manufacturing can begin building relevant foundations through:

Mechanical Engineering
Develop knowledge in mechanics, engineering design, manufacturing and physical systems connected with automotive and advanced industrial technologies.

Explore Mechanical Engineering →

Process & Industrial Engineering
Explore industrial systems, process optimisation, production technologies and data-driven approaches to improving modern manufacturing.

Explore Process & Industrial Engineering →

Communication & Electronics Engineering
Build foundations in electronics, sensors, control and communication technologies used across automation, connected machines and intelligent vehicle systems.

Explore Communication & Electronics Engineering →

Computer & AI Engineering
Develop skills in computing, artificial intelligence and data for smart factories, automation and increasingly intelligent automotive systems.

Explore Computer & AI Engineering →

Global Pathways
Explore international study opportunities that allow students to build academic and professional experience across different countries and university systems.

Explore Global Pathways →

The factory of the future will not be built by one technology alone. It will be built where engineering, automation, data and intelligent systems come together.

Bringing Satellite Technology onto Campus

Satellite communications can feel like technology that exists far away from university life.

At MAHANAKORN, it is being tested directly on campus.

MAHANAKORN has partnered with GalaxySpace, a satellite communications technology company from China, to research and test an integrated broadband communication system connecting Low-Earth Orbit satellites with ground-based communication infrastructure.

The collaboration includes a ground station known as Mini-Spider, installed as part of the university’s Space Technology Research Center.

According to the project announcement, it became the first university-based ground station in Thailand to experiment with satellite communications using the high-frequency Q/V band.

How Satellite Internet Reaches the Ground

A satellite network needs much more than satellites in orbit.

Information must travel between space and infrastructure on Earth.

The GalaxySpace system being tested at MAHANAKORN includes two important parts:

User terminals can be installed in fixed locations or mounted on vehicles, while connected devices can access the network through technologies such as LAN or Wi-Fi.

For engineering students, this creates a useful way to understand satellite communications as a complete system rather than simply something happening in orbit.

Electronics, antennas, radio-frequency engineering, networking, software and ground infrastructure all have to work together.

Testing Low-Earth Orbit Communications in Thailand

The partnership is not limited to installing equipment.

Researchers and engineers from MAHANAKORN and GalaxySpace are using the infrastructure to study, experiment with and evaluate Low-Earth Orbit satellite technologies.

Initial testing began in March 2024.

According to MAHANAKORN, the project successfully demonstrated internet connectivity through the satellite system and tested Thai internet traffic through GalaxySpace’s Low-Earth Orbit satellite network.

The project also operates within a regulatory sandbox supported by Thailand’s telecommunications regulator, allowing research and testing of Q/V-band satellite technology under controlled conditions.

That matters because new communication technologies need to be understood not only theoretically, but also through real-world testing involving signal performance, equipment, spectrum and network reliability.

Why Low-Earth Orbit Satellites Matter

Low-Earth Orbit satellite networks are attracting attention because they can expand connectivity to places where traditional infrastructure may be difficult to build.

Potential applications extend beyond ordinary internet access.

Satellite connectivity can support areas such as:

The technology therefore sits at the intersection of space engineering and everyday digital infrastructure.

A satellite may orbit hundreds of kilometres above Earth, but the services it enables can eventually affect people, businesses and communities on the ground.

From Research Infrastructure to Student Experience

One of the most important parts of the collaboration is the opportunity to connect research infrastructure with education.

MAHANAKORN states that knowledge gained from the GalaxySpace project can contribute to teaching, curriculum development and practical learning opportunities for students and faculty working in space-related technology.

Instead of learning satellite communications only through diagrams or simulations, students can study an environment where real equipment, real signals and real engineering challenges are being tested.

That is especially relevant as the space industry expands beyond traditional government missions into communications, Earth observation, data services and commercial technology.

For students entering engineering today, the space economy could become much closer to their future careers than it first appears.

Where Could You Take It Next?

Students interested in satellites, communications and intelligent technology can begin building relevant foundations through:

Communication & Electronics Engineering
Develop knowledge in electronics, communication systems and signal technologies directly connected with satellite communications, wireless networks and advanced electronic systems.

Explore Communication & Electronics Engineering →

Computer & AI Engineering
Build foundations in computing, artificial intelligence and data for connected systems, network technologies and applications built around satellite information.

Explore Computer & AI Engineering →

Mechanical Engineering
Explore engineering design, mechanics and physical systems that contribute to complex technologies used across aerospace and advanced engineering industries.

Explore Mechanical Engineering →

Master of Electrical & Electronics Engineering
Take communication and electronic engineering further through advanced technical study and research.

Explore Master of Electrical & Electronics Engineering →

Postgraduate Research
Explore opportunities to continue into advanced engineering and technology research.

Explore Postgraduate Research →

Space technology becomes much easier to understand when the infrastructure connecting Earth and orbit is right there on campus.

Building the People Behind Semiconductor Technology

The semiconductor industry needs more than factories and investment.

It needs researchers who can design new chips, engineers who understand advanced electronic systems and specialists capable of turning research into technologies that solve real problems.

On 5 June 2024, Imperial College London announced plans to expand its collaboration with MAHANAKORN through new PhD scholarship opportunities in semiconductor and integrated circuit design within Imperial’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

The initiative builds on decades of academic connection between the two universities and creates a pathway for Thai researchers to develop advanced expertise within an international research environment.

From Integrated Circuits to Future Healthcare

Semiconductor research is not limited to making faster processors.

Integrated circuits are increasingly becoming part of technologies used in healthcare, sensing, artificial intelligence, agriculture and intelligent devices.

The collaboration between MAHANAKORN and Imperial focuses particularly on developing expertise in semiconductor integrated circuit design and technologies with future healthcare applications.

That connection creates an interesting research challenge.

An engineer working on future healthcare technology may need to understand electronic circuits.

But they may also need knowledge of sensors, artificial intelligence, embedded computing and how electronic systems interact with biological information.

Advanced research therefore becomes increasingly interdisciplinary.

From Scholarship Plans to SABER Lab

The collaboration announced in 2024 later developed into the Semiconductor AI & BioSensor Electronics Research Lab — SABER Lab, jointly established by MAHANAKORN and Imperial College London.

SABER Lab brings together research in:

Research and training take place across facilities at Imperial College London and MAHANAKORN, connecting researchers in Thailand with expertise and infrastructure in the United Kingdom.

What began as deeper academic cooperation has therefore grown into a dedicated international research platform.

Fully Funded PhD Opportunities for Thai Researchers

Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation is supporting five PhD scholarships each year for five years for Thai researchers studying within Imperial’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering through the SABER Lab initiative.

The PhD programme is based at Imperial College London and focuses on areas including:

Current studentships cover full international tuition fees and a tax-free stipend, with successful researchers completing an Imperial College London PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

For students beginning an engineering degree today, this shows how far a technical foundation can eventually lead.

An undergraduate interest in circuits or AI can develop into postgraduate study, international research and work on technologies with applications in healthcare, agriculture and future electronic systems.

Why International Research Connections Matter

Research rarely develops inside one institution alone.

Semiconductor technology is global by nature.

A chip may be researched in one country, designed by an international team, manufactured elsewhere and eventually become part of a product used around the world.

Working across institutions gives researchers access to different expertise, equipment, ideas and research communities.

Imperial reported that its academics had co-authored 570 publications with Thai partners since 2018, with MAHANAKORN identified among its key research partners in Thailand.

For students and researchers, partnerships like this show that studying engineering can lead beyond the boundaries of a single campus.

Where Could You Take It Next?

Students interested in semiconductors, electronics, AI and advanced research can begin building relevant foundations through:

Communication & Electronics Engineering
Develop knowledge in electronic circuits, communication systems and advanced electronics that can form the foundation for semiconductor and integrated circuit research.

Explore Communication & Electronics Engineering →

Computer & AI Engineering
Build foundations in computing, artificial intelligence and data for intelligent technologies increasingly connected with advanced semiconductor hardware.

Explore Computer & AI Engineering →

Master of Electrical & Electronics Engineering
Advance your technical knowledge in electrical and electronic engineering while preparing for deeper research and technology development.

Explore Master of Electrical & Electronics Engineering →

PhD in Electrical Engineering
Continue toward doctoral-level research in advanced electrical and electronic engineering.

Explore PhD in Electrical Engineering →

Postgraduate Research
Explore pathways into advanced research, international collaboration and technology development.

Explore Postgraduate Research →

The technologies shaping the future need researchers capable of pushing beyond what already exists. International collaboration gives them a larger place to begin.

What Does Global-Standard Engineering Education Look Like?

Engineering education is not only about what appears in a curriculum.

It is also about what students are actually able to do by the time they graduate.

On 9 January 2024, MAHANAKORN signed an academic cooperation agreement with Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation under a national project supporting Thai universities in working toward accreditation by ABET, the international accreditor for engineering and technology programs.

The initiative was created to strengthen the quality of engineering education in Thailand and help programs demonstrate that their graduates are developing capabilities comparable with internationally recognised standards.

More Than a Badge

ABET accreditation is based on evidence.

Programs are expected to define what students should know and be able to do, assess whether those outcomes are actually being achieved and use the results to continuously improve the learning experience.

Current ABET engineering criteria cover areas including:

That changes the question from:

“What subjects do students take?”

to:

“What can students actually demonstrate after completing the program?”

Engineering Skills That Go Beyond Technical Knowledge

ABET’s engineering outcomes also reflect the wider capabilities expected from future engineers.

These include the ability to solve complex engineering problems, design solutions, communicate effectively, work in teams, conduct experiments, analyse data and continue acquiring new knowledge as technology changes.

That matters because engineering work rarely happens in isolation.

A technical solution may also need to consider safety, environmental impact, cost, communication with other teams and the needs of the people who will eventually use it.

For students, an outcomes-based approach means the focus is not simply on passing individual subjects.

The bigger goal is to build a set of capabilities that can be demonstrated through laboratories, projects, experiments, design work and real engineering problems.

Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement

One of the most important parts of the ABET framework is continuous improvement.

Programs are expected to collect evidence about student learning, evaluate whether intended outcomes are being reached and use those findings to improve the program over time.

MAHANAKORN’s participation in the national ABET initiative therefore involves more than preparing documentation.

The university stated that it aimed to develop its engineering and technology programs across multiple disciplines in line with international quality expectations while producing graduates whose capabilities respond to the needs of both Thai and international industry.

That creates a cycle:

students learn,

their outcomes are measured,

the program identifies what can improve,

and the learning experience evolves.

Why This Matters for Students

Students may never see every quality-assurance process happening behind a degree program.

But they experience the result.

Clearer learning outcomes can influence how courses are designed.

Assessment can become more closely connected with practical ability.

Projects and laboratories can provide evidence of what students can actually build, analyse or solve.

And feedback from industry and other stakeholders can help programs remain relevant as engineering professions change.

That is the real significance of working toward an international engineering framework.

It is not simply about adding a recognised name to a university website.

It is about creating a system designed to keep asking whether students are being prepared for the engineering problems they will face after graduation.

Where Could You Take It Next?

Students interested in engineering programs shaped around practical capability and internationally connected standards can explore:

Civil Engineering
Build foundations in structures, infrastructure and engineering design while developing the analytical and problem-solving skills required for complex civil-engineering challenges.

Explore Civil Engineering →

Communication & Electronics Engineering
Develop knowledge in electronics, circuits and communication systems while building practical engineering skills through laboratories, design and technical problem-solving.

Explore Communication & Electronics Engineering →

Mechanical Engineering
Explore mechanics, engineering design, manufacturing and physical systems through a combination of technical knowledge and practical application.

Explore Mechanical Engineering →

Process & Industrial Engineering
Learn how engineering, processes, productivity and systems thinking can be applied to improve complex industrial environments.

Explore Process & Industrial Engineering →

Engineering quality is not defined by what a program promises. It is defined by what students can demonstrate when they leave it.

Turning Location Data into Better Decisions

Almost every major infrastructure challenge has a location.

Where should a new road be built?

Which areas are most vulnerable to flooding?

How is a city expanding?

Where are natural resources changing?

And how can satellite information help decision-makers understand what is happening across an entire region?

These are the kinds of questions addressed by Geographic Information Systems, or GIS.

On 19 October 2023, MAHANAKORN and SuperMap Software brought researchers and technology specialists together for the SuperMap GIS Innovation and Application Workshop on campus. The event focused on the latest developments in GIS, spatial intelligence and their applications to real-world challenges.

The collaboration also included an agreement giving MAHANAKORN access to the latest generation of SuperMap GIS software for education and research.

From Satellite Data to Smart Cities

GIS is much more than displaying information on a map.

Modern geospatial platforms can combine information from satellites, sensors, infrastructure and other data sources to help researchers and planners understand where things are happening and how different locations relate to one another.

The workshop explored applications including:

One session focused specifically on geospatial intelligence for smart-city development in Thailand, showing how spatial data can become part of urban planning and decision-making.

Seeing the World as Data

Imagine a city as thousands of layers.

Roads.

Buildings.

People.

Utilities.

Water systems.

Traffic.

Land use.

Environmental conditions.

Satellite imagery.

GIS allows those layers to be viewed, analysed and connected.

That can help engineers and planners move beyond simply knowing that a problem exists.

They can begin asking where it is happening, what surrounds it and how conditions may be changing over time.

For students, that creates connections between geospatial technology and several different fields.

Civil engineers can use spatial information when studying infrastructure and urban environments.

Computer engineers can work with large datasets and intelligent analysis.

Electronics engineers can help build the sensing and communication systems that collect information from the physical world.

Connecting GIS with Space Technology

The workshop also connected with MAHANAKORN’s wider work in satellite technology.

A presentation on Satellite Applications: From Upstream to Downstream looked at the university’s history in satellite development and how information collected from space can be translated into applications on Earth.

That connection is important because satellite images become much more useful when they can be analysed alongside other information.

A satellite may capture what an area looks like from above.

GIS can help turn that image into data that can be compared, measured and used to support decisions.

This creates applications that stretch from city planning to environmental monitoring and disaster management.

Technology That Crosses Disciplines

One of the goals highlighted by MAHANAKORN was to make GIS technology relevant beyond a single engineering field.

The university stated that students across different faculties could benefit from learning how spatial software can be applied within their own disciplines.

That reflects how many modern problems are increasingly interdisciplinary.

A smart-city project may require civil infrastructure, sensors, communications, software and data analysis at the same time.

Geospatial technology becomes one of the tools that can help connect those pieces.

Where Could You Take It Next?

Students interested in smart cities, geospatial technology and data-driven engineering can begin building relevant foundations through:

Civil Engineering
Develop knowledge in infrastructure, transportation, water systems and the built environment — areas where spatial data can support better planning and engineering decisions.

Explore Civil Engineering →

Computer & AI Engineering
Build foundations in computing, artificial intelligence and data analysis for intelligent systems that increasingly rely on large and location-based datasets.

Explore Computer & AI Engineering →

Communication & Electronics Engineering
Explore electronics, sensing and communication technologies that help collect and transmit real-world information into connected digital systems.

Explore Communication & Electronics Engineering →

Postgraduate Research
Take geospatial, infrastructure and technology research further through advanced study and interdisciplinary research opportunities.

Explore Postgraduate Research →

A map can show where something is. Geospatial technology helps us understand what is happening there — and what we might do next.

Bridging the Gap Between Academic Excellence and Global Industry

Mahanakorn University of Technology (MUT) has partnered with TusPark WHA to build a collaborative ecosystem connecting practical engineering education with the rapidly growing Thailand–China industrial network.

This strategic partnership focuses on developing high-impact engineering and technology talent, equipping graduates with hands-on technical capabilities aligned with modern multinational enterprises.

Why This Partnership Matters:

By linking academic rigor with leading industrial infrastructure, MAHANAKORN prepares students to solve real-world engineering challenges on an international scale.

Where Could You Take It Next?

Students interested in the technologies and innovations behind initiatives like these can begin building the foundations through several key areas at MAHANAKORN:

Computer and AI (Data Science) Engineering

Explore how artificial intelligence, computing, and data systems are deployed to interpret complex information and automate modern industrial solutions.

Communication and Electronics Engineering

Build foundations in smart electronics, advanced communications, and IoT sensing technologies powering connected industries.

Mechanical Engineering

Explore automation, robotics, and physical-digital systems driving the future of smart manufacturing and global industry.

See where technology can take you at MAHANAKORN.

Advancing Global Environmental Solutions Through Engineering Research

Mahanakorn University of Technology (MUT) proudly represented Thailand’s engineering research community at the Asian-Pacific Landfill Symposium (APLAS). Our researchers showcased advanced methodologies focused on transforming traditional waste disposal into highly sustainable, eco-friendly management systems.

Key Highlights from the Research Presentation:

This milestone at APLAS reinforces MAHANAKORN’s commitment to not just teaching engineering, but actively developing research that creates a cleaner, more sustainable future for global communities.

Where Could You Take It Next?

Students interested in the technologies and systems behind sustainability projects like these can begin building the foundations through several key areas at MAHANAKORN:

Civil Engineering

Build foundations in infrastructure, environmental engineering, and the critical sanitary systems required to design and manage sustainable urban environments.

Process and Industrial Engineering

Explore how to design, optimize, and manage large-scale systems for waste processing, resource recovery, and sustainable industrial manufacturing.

Postgraduate Studies

Take your education further by engaging in advanced, hands-on research solving complex global challenges in engineering, technology, and environmental management.

See where technology and research can take you at MAHANAKORN.

The Automotive Industry Is Changing

The transition from internal-combustion vehicles to electric vehicles changes much more than the engine.

Electric motors replace combustion systems.

Batteries become one of the vehicle’s most important components.

Electronics and software take on larger roles.

Manufacturing processes need to adapt.

And technicians and engineers need a different combination of skills.

On 3 November 2022, MAHANAKORN hosted the seminar “EV Industry in Thailand and The Next Generation to Come”, bringing together perspectives from education and the automotive industry to discuss how Thailand can prepare people for this transition.

The event formed part of a wider collaboration between MAHANAKORN, Great Wall Motor Manufacturing (Thailand) and Thailand’s Office of the Vocational Education Commission.

Learning from Real Vehicles

One of the most practical parts of the collaboration focused on developing training equipment from real modern vehicles.

The partners worked together to research, design and produce automotive training systems, along with lessons and assessments that could be used by vocational students.

That approach matters because future automotive skills cannot be developed through theory alone.

Students need opportunities to understand how the systems inside an electric vehicle actually connect.

A modern EV can involve:

The vehicle becomes a complete engineering system rather than a collection of separate subjects.

Beyond Cars

The collaboration was not limited to passenger vehicles.

The partners also worked on the development of electric-powered agricultural machinery, extending electric mobility technology into another important area of Thailand’s economy.

This shows how electrification can affect much more than the cars people drive.

Electric power systems, batteries and intelligent control technologies can eventually influence transportation, agriculture, logistics, manufacturing and other industries.

For engineering students, that creates a much wider set of possible applications.

The same knowledge used to understand an electric car may later contribute to industrial machines, autonomous systems or new forms of mobility.

What Happens to the Battery?

The shift toward electric vehicles also creates another engineering challenge:

what happens to batteries after their original use?

At the time of the seminar, MAHANAKORN reported work on a project investigating how older battery systems could be restored and reused in vehicles such as passenger vans, pickup trucks and minibuses.

Battery technology therefore creates questions beyond simply storing enough energy to move a vehicle.

Engineers also need to think about battery performance, lifespan, reuse, efficiency and how energy systems can become more sustainable over time.

Those challenges make the EV industry naturally interdisciplinary.

Engineering for the Next Generation of Mobility

MAHANAKORN has continued developing its capabilities around electric vehicles, motorsport engineering, intelligent control systems, batteries, electric motors and automotive technology.

The important point for students is that automotive engineering is no longer only mechanical.

Future vehicles bring together mechanical design, electronics, electrical power, software, AI, data and advanced manufacturing.

That means the people building the next generation of vehicles will increasingly need to understand how several engineering disciplines work together.

Where Could You Take It Next?

Students interested in electric vehicles, intelligent mobility and future automotive technology can begin building relevant foundations through:

Mechanical Engineering
Develop knowledge in mechanics, engineering design, manufacturing and physical systems that form the foundation of automotive and mobility technologies.

Explore Mechanical Engineering →

Communication & Electronics Engineering
Build foundations in electronics, control and communication technologies increasingly used across electric vehicles and intelligent automotive systems.

Explore Communication & Electronics Engineering →

Computer & AI Engineering
Develop skills in computing, artificial intelligence and data for increasingly connected, automated and intelligent vehicles.

Explore Computer & AI Engineering →

Process & Industrial Engineering
Explore manufacturing systems, process improvement and industrial technologies relevant to the changing automotive production environment.

Explore Process & Industrial Engineering →

The vehicle of the future is not built by mechanical engineering alone. It is where mechanics, electronics, energy and intelligence come together.

Engineering Built for Real-World Missions

Robotics becomes much more challenging when failure is not an option.

A robot designed to operate in dangerous environments needs reliable mechanical systems, precise electronic control and communication technology that allows operators to work from a safer distance.

At BYOND MOBILE 2022, held at Samyan Mitrtown Hall in Bangkok on 28–29 September 2022, MAHANAKORN presented the D-EMPIR V.4, a compact bomb-disposal robot developed through collaboration with Thailand’s Defence Technology Institute (DTI).

The project demonstrates how engineering research can move beyond prototypes and toward systems designed for practical deployment.

A Robot Designed to Go Where People Should Not

Bomb-disposal robots are built around a simple principle:

send the machine into the dangerous environment before sending a person.

Achieving that safely requires several engineering systems to work together.

A robot must be able to move across challenging surfaces.

Its mechanical structure needs to remain stable.

Electronic systems must respond accurately to operator commands.

Communication needs to remain reliable while the robot operates at a distance.

And every component needs to work as part of one integrated system.

The D-EMPIR V.4 represents the type of engineering challenge where mechanical design, electronics, control and communication technology become impossible to separate.

According to the university’s event report, the system was developed domestically through the DTI–MAHANAKORN collaboration and had received certification from Thailand’s Ministry of Defence for practical performance.

From Prototype to Practical Technology

Building a robot in a laboratory is one stage.

Building one that can perform a real mission creates a very different challenge.

Engineers have to consider reliability.

Movement.

Control.

Communication.

Maintenance.

And how a human operator will interact with the machine under pressure.

That process can involve repeated design, testing and improvement before the technology is ready to move beyond the research environment.

Projects like D-EMPIR show students that engineering is not simply about understanding individual components.

The real challenge is making those components work together reliably enough to solve a problem in the physical world.

Robotics Is an Interdisciplinary Field

A modern robot can bring several engineering disciplines into one machine.

Mechanical engineering shapes the structure, mobility and physical mechanisms.

Electronics engineering connects motors, sensors and control hardware.

Communication technology allows information and commands to move between the robot and its operator.

Software determines how those systems respond.

Artificial intelligence can add increasingly autonomous capabilities as robotic technology develops.

That is why robotics provides such a strong example of interdisciplinary engineering.

One machine can require knowledge that would traditionally sit across several different classrooms.

Showing Thai Technology at BYOND MOBILE

BYOND MOBILE is a trade show and conference focused on next-generation wireless, mobile and digital technologies. The 2022 event brought together technology companies, network providers and innovators to present emerging systems and applications.

For MAHANAKORN, exhibiting the D-EMPIR V.4 placed a Thai-developed engineering project alongside a wider ecosystem of communication and digital technologies.

It also gave visitors a chance to see that advanced engineering research does not always have to remain inside a laboratory.

Sometimes it becomes a machine standing directly in front of you.

Where Could You Take It Next?

Students interested in robotics, automation and intelligent machines can begin building relevant foundations through:

Mechanical Engineering
Develop knowledge in mechanics, engineering design and physical systems that form the foundation of robots, machines and automated technologies.

Explore Mechanical Engineering →

Communication & Electronics Engineering
Build foundations in electronics, circuits, communication and control technologies used to connect sensors, actuators and robotic systems.

Explore Communication & Electronics Engineering →

Computer & AI Engineering
Develop skills in computing, artificial intelligence and software that can make robotic and autonomous systems increasingly intelligent.

Explore Computer & AI Engineering →

Process & Industrial Engineering
Explore automation, industrial systems and process improvement for environments where robotics increasingly works alongside people and production technology.

Explore Process & Industrial Engineering →

A robot becomes meaningful when engineering moves beyond making it work — and starts making dangerous work safer for people.