University-Industry Link Campus Open Day

The Open Day saw over 200 participants from the industry and academia

UTAR together with The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) and Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) Selangor Branch organised the inaugural University-Industry Link Campus Open Day at Sungai Long Campus on 23 July 2016 as an initiative to further strengthen the university-industry link in Malaysia.

The University-Industry Link Campus Open Day aimed to connect the 1,200 researchers and academic staff from the university’s research centres with the industry. The Open Day was also a platform to congregate UTAR’s academics and the industry players from diverse disciplines to share expertise and exchange resources for R&D projects, consultancy services, trainings and more.

The ACCCIM’s Science, Technology and Innovations (STI) Committee Chairman Datuk Ir Hong Lee Pee said, “In view of promoting sustainable socio-economic growth in Malaysia, the industry and the academia have come together to establish a university-industry link through numerous collaborations. However, the greatest potential of the connection has not yet been fully realised. Through today’s occasion, we hope to emphasise the importance of STI as the key driver of socio-economic development, and wish more universities will join us to promote the university-industry link.”

UTAR Vice-President for R&D and Commercialisation Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei said, “The world is expecting the arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution with a combination of the physical, digital, and biological worlds. This implies that we are moving towards a future which requires collective effort from the industry, academia, and research institutions with STI as the prime mover.” Citing some successful examples of UTAR-industry collaborations in advanced countries, Prof Lee highlighted UTAR’s role in optimising the University-Industry STI link through the sharing of resources such as expertise and facilities. He also proposed various forms of support that the university can contribute to better aid the industry.

Present at the University-Industry Link Campus Open Day were academics, researchers, Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and experts from diverse fields such as Science, IT, and Business. The Open Day concluded with a networking lunch and dialogues between the industry and university members to promote mutual understanding and explore the possibilities for future collaborations.