THE Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) have formed a partnership to accelerate Next Generation Vehicles (NxGVs), Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS).
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by MARii CEO Madani Sahari and UKM vice chancellor Mohd Hamdi Abd Shukor on July 2.
The collaboration will see the two parties accelerating the development of the three new elements outlined in the National Automotive Policy 2020 (NAP 2020) through the utilisation of research facilities and local talents provided by UKM and MARii. The three elements are NxGV, MaaS and IR4.0.
“The academia provides an important dimension in developing novel solutions to industry needs in the rapidly growing technology sector. This MoU signifies our continued collaboration with the nation’s research pool towards accelerating technology adoption within all economic levels and ranks,” said MARii chairman Phang Ah Tong.
Among the projects that will be looked into by the collaboration is the development and commercialisation of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, with a focus on performance, replication and development of a lithium-ion battery production line. Another project is a hydrogen energy efficient vehicle (HEEV) project to develop an alternative fuel source with hydrogen fuel technology.
“The MoU between MARii and UKM completes the strategic network of expertise required to implement projects related to the research and development of basic materials for lithium ion battery manufacturing, cybersecurity and digitalisation in the mobility sector,” said Madani.
Another initiative under the collaboration is the development of a network catered to reverse logistics, which involves the process of collecting, recycling and dismantling end of life vehicles.
A smart data initiative is also in the works, focusing on utilising artificial intelligence in manufacturing processes to enable smart manufacturing. Other technologies will also be explored to allow applications in the areas of sensor fusion, deep learning and machine learning. Cybersecurity will also be a focus of future developments. – July 2, 2020
