Sirim Ready to Help Realise 9MP Projects
By Azlan Abu Bakar
SIRIM Bhd will use its expertise in industrial and technological development and knowledge-based economy to help realise the projects put in place by the Government under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).
The firm is ready to take up the task set by the Government to upgrade the capabilities of local industries while capitalising on knowledge, innovation and high performance culture/values as the key for success.
Sirim is a government-owned company under the Ministry of Finance but its activities are under the purview of the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry.
Sirim president and chief executive Datuk Mohd Ariffin Aton said through the implementation of 21 projects under the 9MP, the firm is enhancing its statutory role and continuously providing significant impact to the development of local industries.
He said Sirim will play a significant role to help industries particularly the small-and medium-sized industries (SMI) through research, technology transfer, technology incubation and skill development in the areas of advanced materials and process technology.
“We are focusing on developing and discovering new technologies for future capability enhancement and promoting standards conformity and quality management,” he said.
Mohd Ariffin said this would help ensure products and services provided by industries are internationally accepted and of equal or better quality as compared with others in the market.
He said Sirim is also providing vocational training attachments to local students and undertake collaborative researches with industries to facilitate knowledge development and transfer.
“The skills training and research collaboration are not limited to locals but also the international research institutes and universities,” he told Business Times in Shah Alam recently.
In supporting the government’s objectives of strengthening the nation’s capabilities in areas such as science, research and development (R&D) and innovation, Sirim’s will contribute in a number of areas.
Among them are the SME and entrepreneur development, technology and industrial development and environment protection/ sustainability, safety and health.
For entrepreneur development, Sirim has established incubator facilities, training and technical advisory services in identified focus areas at state level to assist development of new entrepreneurs.
“The focus areas are Sepang and Shah Alam, Selangor, Malacca, Perak, Sabah, Terengganu, Penang, Johor, Pahang and Sarawak,” Mohd Ariffin said.
He said Sirim has also set up a One Stop Packaging Centre in Malacca and Perak to help develop packaging technology capabilities to improve quality, packaging design and product labelling to enable local and overseas market penetration.
The firm also aims to assist industries to enhance their competitiveness and productivity through reduction in production costs, product quality improvement, enhancing manufacturing systems flexibility and production output.
“This can be achieved by using the Advanced Manufacturing Technology and CAD/CAM Technology to accelerate industrial development in manufacturing, machine and tool and power generation sectors,” he said.
The facilitating technology also includes welding and joining technology which involves technology and human capital development and technology transfer.
This includes non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection for the oil and gas, power generation, aerospace, marine and transportation industry.
Sirim is also playing a critical role to further develop and upgrade local industry capability in critical technologies for machine and tool design and manufacturing, mould and die and precision component through research, design and development, technical services and training under the National Centre for Machinery and Tooling Technology.
Although the firm concentrates on improving product quality and capability of companies, one important area is never forgotten – the environment.
Sirim is looking at the matter seriously and hopes to reduce pollution problems and green house effects through research and development of renewable technology, pollution treatment technology for sustainable growth, safer and better quality environment.
“Other contributions related to the environment is the setting up of the National Database for Eco Labeling, intended to assist local industries in fulfilling the requirements for green procurement, purchasing of environmentally and friendly products,” Mohd Ariffin said.
Biotechnology is another area Sirim is looking into.
It wants to assist biotech entrepreneurs in the assessment/ transfer of technology and biotechnology product assessment to ensure production and distribution of value-added and competitive products by local industries to the local and international market.
Mohd Ariffin said through these means, industry sectors will be able to leverage on new knowledge and innovative technologies to develop, reinvent or value-add their products and services, enabling them to move up the value chain.
“This will help companies become more competitive with higher value-added products penetrating the market locally and internationally,” he said.
Sirim’s focus under the Third Industrial Master Plan
* Assisting industries to produce high value-added products and undertaking high-technology and capital-intensive activities, application of advanced technology and development and promotion of growth areas in targeted industries.
* Development and application of knowledge-intensive technology can be facilitated through collaboration with government research institutions, institutes of higher learning, government-linked companies and industries, innovation activies and encouraging R&D growth by private sectors.
* Development of innovative and creative human capital and assist/ encourage industries to work towards a competitive business operation.
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