Doosan Invests ₩180 Billion in Thailand CCL Plant to Meet AI Data Center Demand

Doosan Expands CCL Production to Thailand

South Korean conglomerate Doosan Corporation announced it will establish a new copper-clad laminate (CCL) manufacturing plant in Thailand, investing approximately 180 billion won ($121.7 million) to address surging demand driven by artificial intelligence data center expansion.

The facility will be built at the Araya Industrial Estate in Bang Bo, Samut Prakan Province — roughly 30 minutes from Suvarnabhumi International Airport and one hour from Laem Chabang Port, Thailand’s largest deep-sea port. Construction is scheduled to begin within 2026, with mass production targeted for the second half of 2028.

The 73,000-square-meter plant will specialize in high-performance CCL variants used in AI infrastructure and high-speed networking equipment, according to the company’s April 29 announcement reported by The Korea Herald.

Why Thailand? Strategic Positioning Near Taiwan PCB Suppliers

The location choice is strategic. Thailand has become a key manufacturing hub for Taiwanese PCB makers — including Unimicron, Compeq, and Tripod Technology — who are expanding overseas capacity to serve global AI server customers. By establishing CCL production adjacent to these PCB factories, Doosan shortens the supply chain for its largest customers.

As The Lec reported, Doosan is “positioning Thailand as a key global production hub for CCL as Taiwanese PCB manufacturers expand manufacturing capacity in the country to support AI server demand.”

The AI-Driven CCL Demand Surge

CCL (copper-clad laminate) is the fundamental raw material for printed circuit boards — an insulating substrate coated with copper foil on both sides that enables electronic signal transmission. The AI infrastructure buildout has created unprecedented demand for premium CCL variants that offer:

• Low dielectric loss (Df) — critical for AI accelerator substrates operating at 112 Gbps+ data rates
• High thermal stability — AI server PCBs experience continuous thermal stress from high-power processors
• Improved dimensional stability — large-format server motherboards (up to 24 × 30 inches) require tight registration
• High-frequency performance — networking switches connecting GPU clusters need ultra-low-loss materials

Global demand for these premium CCL grades has outpaced supply since mid-2025, contributing to the broader PCB supply chain tightening that NCAB Group’s May 2026 outlook describes as a “seller’s market.”

Implications for PCB Procurement

Doosan’s Thailand investment signals a structural shift in CCL supply geography:

1. Capacity won’t arrive until 2028 — current supply constraints will persist through 2027
2. Thailand becomes a CCL hub — joining existing capacity in South Korea, Japan, and China
3. Proximity benefits — reduced logistics time and cost for Thai-based PCB fabricators
4. Investment flexibility — Doosan indicated further expansion decisions will “depend on market demand”

For PCB buyers, the immediate takeaway is that high-performance laminate supply remains tight for the next 18–24 months. Early engagement with material suppliers and longer lead time commitments are essential for AI-related projects requiring premium CCL grades.

How This Relates to AtlasPCB Capabilities

AtlasPCB maintains strategic material partnerships with multiple CCL suppliers including Shengyi, Nan Ya Plastics, ITEQ, and Rogers Corporation. For customers designing AI server boards, data center switches, or high-speed networking equipment, our procurement team can advise on:

• Material alternatives when specific grades are allocation-limited
• Hybrid stackup approaches that use premium CCL only for critical signal layers
• Lead time planning for large-format AI server motherboard fabrication

Source: The Korea Herald (April 29, 2026), DigiTimes (May 13, 2026)

Image: Robin Sommer via Unsplash