HARMAN, an electronics technology company and subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., today hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to launch construction of  a new manufacturing facility in Thailand. The new facility, which will be approximately 47,000  sqm in size, will be located just 125 kilometers outside of Bangkok in Laem Chabang, strategically sited within Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and in close proximity to manufacturing facilities for numerous leading global automotive and technology brands.

While the facility will support several of HARMAN’s automotive business units, manufacturing at the new Thailand location will focus primarily on developing products for the company’s automotive division. HARMAN is a global leader in delivering road-ready connected vehicle products that turn cutting-edge technology – like Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence – into meaningful automotive experiences that matter to consumers. The new manufacturing facility in Thailand will enable the company to further scale these solutions and effectively deliver on its promise of building in-cabin consumer experiences at an automotive grade.

HARMAN Automotive President Christian Sobottka, along with other HARMAN senior leaders, celebrated the commencement by breaking ground with Thailand Minister of Industry Pimphattra Wichaikul and other Thai officials who spoke to the economic, innovation and growth synergies that HARMAN’s new facility will support in the region.

“At HARMAN, we are laser-focused on ensuring we can deliver the road-ready automotive products our OEM partners need, providing consumers with the connected lifestyle experiences they’ve come to expect in their vehicles,” said Christian Sobottka, President of HARMAN Automotive. “Expanding our manufacturing footprint in a location like Thailand offers enormous benefits including a rich talent pool and close proximity to OEM partners. In addition to offering years of manufacturing experience supporting both the automotive and technology sectors, Thailand is rapidly transforming into a major production hub for both electric vehicles and the next generation of automotive technology. The synergies between Thailand’s growing investments in high-tech manufacturing and the rapid pace needed to support today’s automotive customers make our decision to commit to the region an easy one.”

“HARMAN’s decision to build a new manufacturing facility in Laem Chabang  is truly a win-win for all,” said Mr. Danainat Chockamnuay, Advisor to Thailand’s Minister of Industry. “The investment aligns perfectly with Thailand’s broader economic development strategy, which includes fostering technological advancement and establishing a robust next-generation automotive supply chain. Furthermore, the new facility will contribute to the local economy by providing workforce training and new job opportunities to 1,200 local workers.” 

HARMAN is working with ESR Group Limited (“ESR”) Asia-Pacific’s leading New Economy real asset manager on the facility design and build. To complement Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green economic development concept, ESR’s design for HARMAN’s facility will adhere to FM Global standards in safety and resilience, and target to attain Gold certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”), which is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and a recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership.

HARMAN has a global Operations presence with automotive manufacturing facilities in Brazil, China, Hungary, India, and Mexico, including more than 12,000 employees dedicated to delivering products and services to our customers at the right cost, quality and delivery. Thailand was selected as the site location for HARMAN’s newest manufacturing facility because of the country’s high vehicle production volume, existing significant OEM presence, and talent-rich environment for technology manufacturing. While construction on the facility is expected to be completed in Q4 of 2025, HARMAN will begin hiring locally for select roles this fall and plans to build its local workforce to approximately 1,200 initially leading up to the facility’s official opening date slated for later next year.

For more information on HARMAN Automotive please visit car.harman.com.