UTP’s R&D building that houses cutting edge and transformational research in two major themes of Smart Community and Energy Sustainability.
UNIVERSITI Teknologi PETRONAS’ Prof Dr Mohd Shahir Liew on the importance of a business mindset among researchers, and how early investments in digitalisation is paying off.
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of the digital economy, and the last two years has shown that organisations with digital strategies in place have not only been able to weather the storm brought on by the pandemic but have left their competitors in the dust.
The spotlight on digitalisation is good news for Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), which has invested heavily in this area.
Mohd Shahir, who is also UTP’s Research, Innovation and Commercialisation deputy vice chancellor says university’s head start and focus on digital innovations is bearing fruit, with the pandemic spurring much of the demand for such solutions.
“The pandemic has been a catalyst for our success,” he says, adding 80% of the deals secured in the last 18 months are related to digital products and services.
“In the last three years we’ve been training our team to think like business people. At presentations the institute director focuses on the business aspects, the potential returns and the value proposition, so there’s that oomph factor,” said Prof Dr Mohd Shahir Liew.
“Three years ago, when digitalisation was still in its infancy and people were only just starting to talk about IR4.0, I made it very clear that digitalisation would be the way forward and I pushed everyone in that direction.
“We came up with a strategic plan and set up the Institute of Autonomous Systems focusing on digitalisation solutions. It is through these efforts that we’ve emerged smelling like roses,” he adds.
In recent years, UTP’s turnover from the research activity, commercialisation of its products and consulting services has grown from an average of RM30mil to RM65mil in 2019 and RM51mil in 2020.
For the first six months of this year turnover is already at RM20mil despite the country’s challenging economic situation.
Capitalise on what we can offer
As digitalisation picks up steam, UTP’s innovations such as ADaPT (Advance Diagnostic and Prognostic Technology) and Poseidon have been gaining industry attention.
The latter, an autonomous structural health monitoring system for offshore facilities, goes towards eliminating unnecessary labour costs.
“These solutions are showing that we have to invest in digitalisation and to use digital technology for monitoring and to ensure asset integrity,” explains Mohd Shahir.
“So this is the prime time to market our digital solutions because everyone is heading in this direction.”
UTP’s edge lies in the competitive pricing of its products and services.
Apart from the oil and gas sector, UTP is also collaborating with the telecommunications sector to come up with solutions based on Internet of Things (IoT).
UTP has also been receiving enquiries from many organisations, including those not immediately associated with technology or digital solutions.
With Lembaga Tabung Haji, for instance, UTP is developing a Hajj Chatbot application, to be used by hajj pilgrims during their pilgrimage.
“We’re also looking at how we can help them enhance their future online business, this is an important area for them, as they have more than eight million members,” Mohd Shahir mentions.
UTP also sees potential for blockchain in the halal food supply chain.
“This is something that I’ve wanted to do for some time – using blockchain as a bookkeeping system to ensure that every single supplier in the value chain is halal.”
Although the idea was initially met with lukewarm interest in Malaysia, UTP took the idea to the Philippines, and has since rolled out a blockchain project for the cocoa industry.
“That was how we got started and now more people are excited about blockchain,” he says, adding that the university is in talks with a local poultry operator.
Customer focused
Mohd Shahir’s leadership has also been pivotal in advancing the commercialisation of UTP’s technology and innovation.
Applying his more than two decades of industry experience, he’s instilled an industry mindset among the researchers.
“In the last three years we’ve been training our team to think like business people.
“At presentations the institute director focuses on the business aspects, the potential returns and the value proposition, so there’s that ‘oomph’ factor,” he says, adding that these are well received by prospective clients.
Although the past 18 months have not been without challenges, the key, he says, is to stay customer focused.
“We have resilience and stamina, we’ll continue to pursue the client until the client says no,” he quips.
UTP’s edge also lies in the competitive pricing of its products and services.
“We’re very calculative in selecting our clients, we don’t go for big companies but those that are hungry for new things, and who want to use these innovations for market entry and grow their market share.”
UTP is also not confining its market to Malaysia. Plans are afoot to commercialise its innovations through the setting up of Technology Transfer Office (TTO) Nexus in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.
