ORGANISATIONS WANT NEW PI TECHNOLOGY

       Sharp Thai's latest innovation - Plasmacluster Ion - seems to have opened a brand new door of opportunity as big building operators are putting in orders to help quell fears of another type-A (H1N1) influenza outbreak.

       Managing director Tatsuya Miyagi said yesterday that several large organisations wanted Sharp to install air conditioners or air purifiers with this technology in their premises. Airports of Thailand (AOT), the operator of six airports in Thailand including Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi, consulted the company a few months ago about installing an air-conditioning system equipped with Plasmacluster Ion in the terminals. Other organisations showing interest in the technology include hospitals, schools, hotels, the Government Pharmaceutical Office as well as a leading cement manufacturer.
       However, Sharp Thai is concerned about the effectiveness of the technology in large buildings, such as the Suvarnabhumi airport terminals. It is also considering the pricing of the product.
       "We're studying how to install Plasmacluster Ion products in those buildings and how to make the system most effective in buildings that have a large number of people passing through. We hope to serve all these corporations in the near future," Miyagi said.
       He noted that the local unit would need to consult with its parent firm, which has already installed air-purification systems in railcars in Japan. The technology has also been installed in the new fleet of E3-200 series trains for the Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa service of the East Japan Railway.
       Miyagi added that Sharp Thai was also interested in installing the system in public transportation networks in the Kingdom.
       The technology has proved to be a success in the Thai market because it helped boost Sharp Thai's revenue in the health and environment segment in this year's first eight months by 35 per cent compared to the same period last year. The company's total revenue in that period increased only by 5 per cent, while the total electrical appliances market in Thailand from January to August dropped from the same period last year, Miyagi said.
       The technology has been deployed across product lines, particularly in the health and environment segment, which includes air purifiers, air conditioners and front-loading washing machines.
       The segment has contributed the most - 40 per cent - of Sharp's total sales. The sales proportion of this segment is expected to increase to 50 per cent next year. Within the health and environmental products segment, in the first eight months of this year air-conditioners showed the highest sales growth at 60 per cent from the same period last year. Sharp Thai faced a stock shortage for its air purifiers over the past few months.