KUALA LUMPUR: SIRIM has launched the Technology and Market Radar (TMR), a business tool to assist local SMEs to identify relevant technology and market trends to enable them to make strategic decisions on technology investment, today.
TMR is designed to be accessed by SMEs, Ministries and Government Agencies to retrieve relevant and strategic information on technology and business trends complemented with an analysis of opportunities and challenges.
The TMR was launched by President and Group Chief Executive of SIRIM, Dr Ahmad Fadzil Mohamad Hani with more than 100 participants attending the event, comprising local SMEs, industries and government officials related to the Malaysian SME activities.
Based on Technology Audits conducted on more than 300 SMEs in 2015 and 2016 by SIRIM under the SIRIM Fraunhofer Programme, the lack of data on market and technology trend was identified as one of the weaknesses affecting SMEs business growth.
To address this weakness, SIRIM and Fraunhofer IAO has collaborated to establish Technology and Market Radar (TMR) suitable for Malaysian SMEs.
Ahmad Fadzil said the initial implementation stage of TMR has two main focus search topics namely Industry 4.0 and Renewable Energy as both technology fields are categorised as high interest fields among SMEs to boost productivity growth.
There will be one radar for the non-technical trend which is based on the Social, Economic, Environment and Politics methodology.
“More search topics will be further developed and enhanced in the future through TMR programme to cover the wide spectrum of technologies according to the market trends and business needs essentially.
“TMR will be a substantial tool in which its platform is designed from combination of technology management standpoint and IT perspectives, capable to manoeuver and channel data on technology and market; and transform it into potential new products and business models for future markets,” he said.