Malaysia Aims Big In Aerospace

13 Feb 2013

Malaysia is aiming big in aerospace. That's an industry that demands perfection, and Malaysia is equal to the task with a business-friendly government, infrastructure and highly skilled manpower. Aerospace comprises advanced technologies but the benefits spill over into electronics, composite materials, manufacturing and systems integration.

There are about 200 aerospace and ancillary industries in Malaysia employing 54,000 with a combined turnover of RM27.5 billion. Malaysia has already factored aerospace in its Tenth Plan which aims at least 1% expenditure for R & D. Besides, research and development are the crucial factors for the aviation industry.

The Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Centre has been launched. Funded by the government, it has collaboration with two international players, Airbus and Rolls Royce and some local players, including universities. The Malaysian centre is modeled on the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield in the UK. The UK centre has collaboration with 40 technology centres and Boeing.

Malaysia’s Higher Education Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, has called for more interaction between the university and the industry. Calling for the establishment of centres of excellence, he singled out AMIC as a viable model for the Malaysia Research University Network .