KUCHING – Swinburne University of Technology and the Malaysian Automotive Institute signed a collaborative research agreement on 1 August, paving the way for the establishment of a joint Transport Innovation Centre (TIC).
The TIC, which aims to become the leading collaborative transport research and innovation organisation in Malaysia and the region, will carry out original research to find innovative solutions to transportation, auto and manufacturing industry and human mobility challenges.
It will be based at Swinburne’s Melbourne campus with a node at Swinburne Sarawak. The TIC leverages on the research expertise and facilities of both campuses while MAI brings in its vast experience and network in the transportation industry. The TIC will also develop training programs to produce a more skilled automotive workforce to support this goal.
“There are talented and motivated researchers at the Sarawak campus who complement our researchers on electric vehicles at the Melbourne campus. Sarawak will be an important extension of the Centre that would enable the university to work even closer with the MAI,” said Professor Ajay Kapoor, Pro Vice-Chancellor for International Research Engagement and Development at Swinburne in Melbourne.
MAI and Swinburne Melbourne have collaborated successfully in the past on transportation research projects. One of the most notable research and innovation success is the eBus project. The eBus was launched in Australia in July 2015 as the country’s first electric bus.
In October last year Swinburne and MAI signed a MoU to establish a dedicated research centre. The agreement signed today concretises that intent.
The MAI was set up by the Malaysian government to ensure the growth and sustainability of the automobile industries in Malaysia.
An immediate task of the TIC is to look at the development of remanufacturing in the regional automotive industries. This would be broken down into two projects; investigating current practices and future opportunities in the areas of reuse, recycle, remanufacture, repair, service and spare parts, and carrying out an investigation into consumer vehicle needs and preferences within Malaysia and the East Asia region.
Professor Janet Gregory, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and CEO Swinburne Sarawak said that, “We already have active researchers in manufacturing and market intelligence. By collaborating with researchers of similar expertise at our Melbourne campus and MAI, and by leveraging on the excellent work by the Electric Vehicle group, I am confident and pleased that through our collaboration, Swinburne research can make a positive impact.”
Today’s agreement signing between MAI and Swinburne was witnessed by Australian Honorary Consul in Kuching, Datuk Dr Phillip Ting.