THE Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), a technology research consortium, says it can help Malaysia take its products and innovation to the next level of expertise.
Companies in the semiconductor industry based here could take the lead in the collaboration with the local universities, suggested its president Dr Larry W. Sumney.
The United States-based organisation, in its global reach, works with the semiconductor industry members which determine industry needs and provide research funding to universities for specific topics of interest.
In return, these companies receive a relatively experienced pool of graduates who can be absorbed into the workforce.
“With many of our members like AMD, Intel and Freescale already here, Malaysia will turn out to be a wonderful base to work from,” he said at a media briefing, here, yesterday.
Some of the multinational companies, such as Intel devote 15 per cent of its turnover towards research which provides an advantage to university researchers to broaden their research.
In the mix, he said, SRC will also connect undergraduates with graduate students who are involved in the research in the evolving semiconductor industry filled with complexities to meet the demands of various industries.
Integrated circuits (ICs), for instance, may be complicated and complex but necessary in medicine and medical applications.
Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (Mida) deputy chief executive officer Datuk Phang Ah Tong explained a mismatch now exists not only in terms of graduates produced vis-à-vis industry requirements but also in terms of research undertaken by universities which turn out to be duplicates.
While Malaysia excels in terms of primary research especially in commodities, it lagged in terms of industry research versus developed markets.
“Advanced electronics is a strong focal point in electrical and electronics (E&E) for us, hence, the need to develop it on the front end.”
E&E contributes some 49 per cent of exports in the manufacturing sector, 32 per cent of the total exports while 30 per cent of investments remain in the sector providing employment for one million people.
“Research needs our attention as it is currently significantly low in regards to the gross domestic product and Malaysia can raise the level through this collaboration”.
He explained that the collaboration with SRC differs from that of Crest (Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science & Technology) in that it uses the global interaction.
Crest is the catalyst in Malaysia that involves the industry, the academia, and the government to boost the E&E industry up the value chain.
Mida is organising a technical forum in mid-2015 to hook up semiconductor researchers in universities in Malaysia with their counterparts from the US.
Dr Steven J. Hillenius said SRC, which has global members in 26 countries, has been working hand-in-hand with universities as well as providing the mechanism link to the industries.
The SRC’s patent history boasts of 400 patents, more than 675 software tools and 55,000 technical documents published in top journals.
The consortium, which has sponsored more than US$2 billion (RM6.67 billion) in research funding, to date, provides a “world -class” visibility with renowned universities in the world and “real- time” access to research.
Both Sumney and Hillenius met up with industry players in Penang during their one-week visit.