Malaysian Society for Engineering and Technology 2421-07-WKL For Members Only 4th ISSUE OCT - DEC 2009 21 st Century Professionals Newsletter Inside This Issue: An innovation-based economy brings along with it new challenges foreign to previous experiences, but it also brings with it new hope for many nations which could not possibly compete in the global arena previously. However, ideas alone without an effective system to stimulate, support, nurture and develop them, will not bear fruits. Thus, the whole value chain of innovation; from ideas to market (alternatively from ideas to IPO) must be carefully tackled and accommodated for. The various efforts put in place by the Malaysian government are timely and highly commendable. Although our achievement of a 3% success rate is way below the international benchmark of about 10% (in developed nations), it is not a bad number at all for a new nation. In the region of South East Asia, perhaps it is not totally unfounded if Malaysia claims to be at the forefront (together with Singapore) of innovation-based economic initiatives. The formation of the National Council of Innovation is an important step forward for Malaysia. The ever increasing number of entries in the various international and national level RnD and innovation based expositions organized in Malaysia, is testimonial to the positive growth of Malaysian innovation culture, although still at a relatively new stage. Nevertheless, based on personal experiences in converting ideas into scientific research, into product prototyping and finally into the export markets, I find that there is a big gap in our innovation value chain i.e. between the source of ideas and the market place. Without a systemic approach, the gap cannot be easily jumped over. This is where our national agenda on innovation and product commercialization of the research outputs have faced a tough wall to break through. Many of our research outputs could have been commercialized, had the gap been well comprehended and tackled earlier on. Innofund and Technofund are two funding mechanisms that were expected to overcome the product commercialization problems. They were introduced in the 9th Malaysian Plan to replace the popular IRPA which was more inclined towards capacity building and research activities. With the condition that an industry must be involved in the Technofund projects, it was assumed that the research findings could be better commercialized. We have failed to understand that the involvement of the industrial partner in the projects will only fill in half of the gap i.e the Development Gap. It is widely accepted that generally, academics (researchers and scientists) are not the best trained people for the product development task. Our academics have more than sufficiently shown that they are ready to compete with the rest of the world as far as scientific findings are concerned, particularly in certain areas of research. However, their track record in product development is not something worth bragging. Thus, although the requirement for an industrial player to be roped in from the beginning is a good idea – to solve the development gap, there is another gap that has not been well addressed so far – the Initial Market Gap. Fortunately, there is an effective way that can fill in the initial market gap and solve our innovation commercialization problems. The approach is not new though; it has been used in all newly emerging economies such as South Korea and China. It was also successfully used previously in Japan – indigenous products policy by the government. Our country is in need of a strong policy on local products commercialization. It is alternatively known as local contents policy. The other countries mentioned above, may not have as generous a funding policy as ours, but they provide what matters most – Guaranteed Initial Market (GIM). With a guaranteed market, a track record is established, and this means a much better chance for further market penetration. A GIM also gives a level of confidence to potential investors, and this may include the existing industrial players who may be reluctant otherwise. They would also be more willing to get involved in a RDC project from the beginning if they knew that a successful new product will get a guaranteed initial market. It is therefore important to realize that only with a concrete and comprehensive innovation policy will we be able to bridge the gap in our innovation value chain. Prof. Dr. Mohamad Khazani Abdullah Director and CTO, Significant Technologies Sdn Bhd Opinion Column 1 Forthcoming Events 4 - 5 Editor’s Note 2 Feature Article 6 - 7 Editorial Board 2 Announcements 8 Past Events 3 - 4 Contact 8
Transcript
OCT - DEC 20091pg
Malaysian Society for Engineering and Technology 2421-07-WKL
For Members Only
4th ISSUE OCT - DEC 2009
21st Century ProfessionalsN e w s l e t t e r
Inside This Issue:
An innovation-based economy brings along with it new challenges foreign to previous experiences, but it also brings with it new hope for many nations which could not possibly compete in the global arena previously. However, ideas alone without an effective system to stimulate, support, nurture and develop them, will not bear fruits. Thus, the whole value chain of innovation; from ideas to market (alternatively from ideas to IPO) must be carefully tackled and accommodated for.
The various efforts put in place by the Malaysian government are timely and highly commendable. Although our achievement of a 3% success rate is way below the international benchmark of about 10% (in developed nations), it is not a bad number at all for a new nation. In the region of South East Asia, perhaps it is not totally unfounded if Malaysia claims to be at the forefront (together with Singapore) of innovation-based economic initiatives. The formation of the National Council of Innovation is an important step forward for Malaysia. The ever increasing number of entries in the various international and national level RnD and innovation based expositions organized in Malaysia, is testimonial to the positive growth of Malaysian innovation culture, although still at a relatively new stage.
Nevertheless, based on personal experiences in converting ideas into scientific research, into product prototyping and finally into the export markets, I find that there is a big gap in our innovation value chain i.e. between the source of ideas and the market place. Without
a systemic approach, the gap cannot be easily jumped over. This is where our national agenda on innovation and product commercialization of the research outputs have faced a tough wall to break through. Many of our research outputs could have been commercialized, had the gap been well comprehended and tackled earlier on.
Innofund and Technofund are two funding mechanisms that were expected to overcome the product commercialization problems. They were introduced in the 9th Malaysian Plan to replace the popular IRPA which was more inclined towards capacity building and research activities. With the condition that an industry must be involved in the Technofund projects, it was assumed that the research findings could be better commercialized.
We have failed to understand that the involvement of the industrial partner in the projects will only fill in half of the gap i.e the Development Gap. It is widely accepted that generally, academics (researchers and scientists) are not the best trained people for the product development task. Our academics have more than sufficiently shown that they are ready to compete with the rest of the world as far as scientific findings are concerned, particularly in certain areas of research. However, their track record in product development is not something worth bragging. Thus, although the requirement for an industrial player to be roped in from the beginning is a good idea – to solve the development gap, there is another gap that has not been well addressed so far – the Initial Market Gap.
Fortunately, there is an effective way that can fill in the initial market gap and solve our innovation commercialization problems. The approach is not new though; it has been used in all newly emerging economies such as South Korea and China. It was also successfully used previously in Japan – indigenous products policy by the government. Our country is in need of a strong policy on local products commercialization. It is alternatively known as local contents policy.
The other countries mentioned above, may not have as generous a funding policy as ours, but they provide what matters most – Guaranteed Initial Market (GIM). With a guaranteed market, a track record is established, and this means a much better chance for further market penetration. A GIM also gives a level of confidence to potential investors, and this may include the existing industrial players who may be reluctant otherwise. They would also be more willing to get involved in a RDC project from the beginning if they knew that a successful new product will get a guaranteed initial market. It is therefore important to realize that only with a concrete and comprehensive innovation policy will we be able to bridge the gap in our innovation value chain.
Prof. Dr. Mohamad Khazani AbdullahDirector and CTO, Significant Technologies Sdn Bhd
Opinion Column 1 Forthcoming Events 4 - 5
Editor’s Note 2 Feature Article 6 - 7
Editorial Board 2 Announcements 8
Past Events 3 - 4 Contact 8
MALAYSIAN INNOVATIONS
OCT - DEC 2009 2pg
N e w s l e t t e r
Editorial Board Ed i to r ’ s no te
Advisor :
Prof. Dato’ Abang Abdullah Abang Ali
Chief Editor :
Dr. Suraya Abdul Rashid
Co-Editors :
Mrs Kamsiah Mohd Ismail
Dr Intan Salwani Ahmad
Dr Zurina Zainal Abidin
Dr Raja Syamsul Azmir
Dr Siti Mazlina Mustapa Kamal
Mrs Nik Syazurawati
Dear mSET members,
It has been a very busy end of year for mSET. Despite our shortcomings, it is a joy to see the publication of the 4th issue of the mSET Newsletter.
In this issue we are pleased to feature an opinion column by Prof. Dr. Khazani Abdullah, the Director of Significant Technologies Sdn. Bhd. The opinion entitled “Malaysian Innovation – Filling the Gaps” addresses the gaps in Malaysia’s innovation value chain i.e. from ideas to the market place. Based on personal experience, Prof. Khazani highlights the importance of having a concrete innovation policy to ensure the success of our national agenda on innovation and research product commercialization.
In the past few months mSET has organized several interesting events. Apart from a workshop on Design of Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete to Eurocode held in Penang, mSET also organized the Integrated Engineering Carnival 2009 in UiTM Shah Alam and the Karnival Kecemerlangan Politeknik in Johor Bahru. Events such as these not only help to promote mSET as a professional body but also enable mSET to recruit new members.
As for forthcoming events, look out for the 4th World Engineering Congress (WEC), mSET’s biggest joint venture yet with the Federation of Engineering Institutions in Islamic Countries (FEIIC). This WEC carries the theme “Engineering and Technology for Global Stability and Security” and will be held in August 2010 in Kuching, Sarawak. The congress will be held at the spanking new Sarawak Convention Bureau. Take this opportunity to network, exchange ideas and of course to enjoy the wonderful city of Kuching. Come on mSET members, let’s make this congress a success ~ register online today at www.mset.org.my/wec2010.
In this issue we also feature an interesting article entitled “The Future of Wireless-Sensor-Network-Based Slope Monitoring in Malaysia” by researchers from the Department of Computer and Communication Systems Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia and the Public Works Department Malaysia. With the advancement of Wireless Sensor Network coupled with increased number of local expertise, Malaysia could position itself as a leader in WSN-based slope monitoring technology in the region.
Last but not least, look out for the important announcements regarding mSET’s first magazine, the transfer of mSET ordinary member to member/fellow, and the approved budget of RM500, 000 from MIDA for mSET’s IT upgrading project.
We appreciate your feedback on the Newsletter. Please continue to share your thoughts with us via [email protected].
Happy New Year!
Suraya Abdul Rashid Chief Editor
OCT - DEC 2009 2pg
OCT - DEC 20091pg
Malaysian Society for Engineering and Technology
For Members Only
4th ISSUE OCT - DEC 2009
21st Century ProfessionalsN e w s l e t t e r
Inside This Issue:
An innovation-based economy brings along with it new challenges foreign to previous experiences, but it also brings with it new hope for many nations which could not possibly compete in the global arena previously. However, ideas alone without an effective system to stimulate, support, nurture and develop them, will not bear fruits. Thus, the whole value chain of innovation; from ideas to market (alternatively from ideas to IPO) must be carefully tackled and accommodated for.
The various efforts put in place by the Malaysian government are timely and highly commendable. Although our achievement of a 3% success rate is way below the international benchmark of about 10% (in developed nations), it is not a bad number at all for a new nation. In the region of South East Asia, perhaps it is not totally unfounded if Malaysia claims to be at the forefront (together with Singapore) of innovation-based economic initiatives. The formation of the National Council of Innovation is an important step forward for Malaysia. The ever increasing number of entries in the various international and national level RnD and innovation based expositions organized in Malaysia, is testimonial to the positive growth of Malaysian innovation culture, although still at a relatively new stage.
Nevertheless, based on personal experiences in converting ideas into scientific research, into product prototyping and finally into the export markets, I find that there is a big gap in our innovation value chain i.e. between the source of ideas and the market place. Without
a systemic approach, the gap cannot be easily jumped over. This is where our national agenda on innovation and product commercialization of the research outputs have faced a tough wall to break through. Many of our research outputs could have been commercialized, had the gap been well comprehended and tackled earlier on.
Innofund and Technofund are two funding mechanisms that were expected to overcome the product commercialization problems. They were introduced in the 9th Malaysian Plan to replace the popular IRPA which was more inclined towards capacity building and research activities. With the condition that an industry must be involved in the Technofund projects, it was assumed that the research findings could be better commercialized.
We have failed to understand that the involvement of the industrial partner in the projects will only fill in half of the gap i.e the Development Gap. It is widely accepted that generally, academics (researchers and scientists) are not the best trained people for the product development task. Our academics have more than sufficiently shown that they are ready to compete with the rest of the world as far as scientific findings are concerned, particularly in certain areas of research. However, their track record in product development is not something worth bragging. Thus, although the requirement for an industrial player to be roped in from the beginning is a good idea – to solve the development gap, there is another gap that has not been well addressed so far – the Initial Market Gap.
Fortunately, there is an effective way that can fill in the initial market gap and solve our innovation commercialization problems. The approach is not new though; it has been used in all newly emerging economies such as South Korea and China. It was also successfully used previously in Japan – indigenous products policy by the government. Our country is in need of a strong policy on local products commercialization. It is alternatively known as local contents policy.
The other countries mentioned above, may not have as generous a funding policy as ours, but they provide what matters most – Guaranteed Initial Market (GIM). With a guaranteed market, a track record is established, and this means a much better chance for further market penetration. A GIM also gives a level of confidence to potential investors, and this may include the existing industrial players who may be reluctant otherwise. They would also be more willing to get involved in a RDC project from the beginning if they knew that a successful new product will get a guaranteed initial market. It is therefore important to realize that only with a concrete and comprehensive innovation policy will we be able to bridge the gap in our innovation value chain.
Prof. Dr. Mohamad Khazani AbdullahDirector and CTO, Significant Technologies Sdn Bhd
Opinion Column 1 Forthcoming Events 4 - 5
Editor’s Note 2 Feature Article 6 - 7
Editorial Board 2 Announcements 8
Past Events 3 - 4 Contact 8
MALAYSIAN INNOVATIONSF i l l ing The Gaps
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A Two Day Design Course and Practical Workshop on the Design of Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete to Eurocodes was successfully held on 30-31 July 2009 at Equatorial Hotel, Penang. This is the 3rd time the Housing Research Centre has invited the Malaysian Society for Engineering & Technology (mSET) and the Construction Research Institute (CREAM) as the co-organisers. The speaker was Dr. Kim S. Elliot from Nottingham University, United Kingdom and this time 17 participants attended the two-day workshop.
The objective of this course was to develop techniques in the use of Eurocodes, including limit state design, load factors, material properties, worked examples and construction details. This was in addition to a hands on workshop on the design of 6 storey unbraced and braced frames, prestressed concrete floor slabs and inverted tee beams, plus the use of computer softwares.
1. A Two-Day Design Course & Practical Workshop on The Design of Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete Structures to EUROCODES
P A S T E V E N T S
2. Report on Integrated Engineering Carnival 2009 (IEC 09) at Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia (UiTM), Shah Alam
Malaysian Society for Engineering & Technology (mSET) successfully achieved their target to introduce a new section of student member by obtaining its first 73 memberships from engineering students at UiTM during the Integrated Engineering Carnival 2009 (IEC 09). The carnival was held at the Science and Technology Complex, Faculty of Engineering, UiTM Malaysia, Shah Alam from 13th to 15th August 2009. The theme of the carnival was ‘Defining Marine Engineering for Future Earth’ and it had attracted participation from several engineering entities including private sectors.
IEC 09 was a continuation from the IEC 08 which was previously held in August 2008. This edition of IEC was in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water. The purpose of the carnival was to raise awareness among students on the importance of green energy and renewable energy to the futureworld and their impacts towards the environment, particularly to the marine world. The opening and closing ceremony was officially done by the Deputy Minister ofEnergy, Green Technology and Water, YB Noriah binti Kasnon.
OCT - DEC 2009 4pg
The Malaysian Society for Engineering & Technology (mSET) was
invited by the Department of Polytechnic, Higher Education Ministry
to participate in “Karnival Kecemerlangan Politeknik, Kementerian
Pengajian Tinggi” which was successfully held on 23-25 October 2009 at
Plaza Angsana Johor, Johor Bahru. The objective of this programme was
to disseminate information about education and carrier opportunities
offered by Polytechnic Malaysia. The opening ceremony was officially
done by the Minister of Higher Education, Y.B. Dato’ Seri Mohamed
Khaled bin Nordin. mSET participated in this event to promote mSET as
a professional body among the community of Johor.
3. Report on Karnival Kecemerlangan Politeknik at Plaza Angsana Johor, Johor Bahru, Johor.
Date : 13-14 January 2010Venue : Putrajaya Marriot HotelCo-organiser: EAD, Board of Engineers Malaysia
Date : 2 - 5 August 2010Venue : Kuching, SarawakCo-organisers: FEIIC, Universiti Putra Malaysia, MIMOS
1. 2-day Intensive Workshop on Submission to EAC (2nd Series)
2. The 4th World Engineering Congress 2010
P A S T E V E N T S
F O R T H C O M I N G E V E N T S
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WEC2010 SecretariatMalaysian Society for Engineering & TechnologyTower Block, Faculty of EngineeringUniversiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor MALAYSIA.Tel : +603 8946 6451 Fax : +603 8946 7869Email : [email protected]
Sponsors:Co-Organizer:
http://www.mset.org.my/wec2010
PARALLEL CONFERENCES
Joint Organisers:
INTRODUCTION
2010 orldW ngineering ongressE CKuching, Sarawak, MALAYSIA
2nd - 5th August 2010
ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY FOR GLOBAL STABILITY AND SECURITY
The 4th
2010
The 4th World Engineering Congress 2010 (WEC2010) is back with the theme, ‘Engineering & Technology for Global Stability and Security’. This Congress consisting of 8 parallel conferences shall provide a good opportunity for gathering and sharing of experiences amongst the international community of engineers, technologists, academics, researchers, scientists and other professionals in related fields, as well as policymakers interested in addressing issues related to the theme of the Congress.
Conference on Advanced Processes and Materials
Conference on Natural Resources and Green Technology
Conference on Electrical and Electronic Technology
Conference on Manufacturing Technology and Management
Conference on Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conference on Buildings and Infrastructural Technology
Conference on Engineering and Technology Education
Conference on Information Security
Full Paper 31st March 2010Important Deadlines
All papers will be peer reviewed. Selected papers will be recommended for publication in the International Journal of Engineering and Technology.
C A L L F O R P A P E R S
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Malaysia is situated above 6° to the Equator which gives the land an equatorial type of climate, making it hot and humid throughout the year. On average, Malaysia receives around 6 hours of sunshine daily and the rainfall scatter at different times of the year. However, heavy downpours normally occur during the monsoon season during November to January. Major landslides at slope areas happen during this period due to underground water arising from the rain which affects soil stability. Furthermore, rapid and uncontrolled hillside development has worsened the situation. Some of the major tourist attractions in Malaysia are situated in hilly areas such as Cameron Highlands, Genting Highlands and Bukit Tinggi, which are prone to landslides due to steep slope gradient. Landslides will not only result in fatality but also cause hardship to the public, authorities and government. Figure 1 shows the landslide history in Malaysia from December 1993 to December 2008. The highest casualties happened in December 1993 from the collapse of Highland Tower Condominium causing 48 deaths. Another landslide happened in October 2003 when huge hillside rocks fall near the Bukit Lanjan interchange closing the expressway for more than six months. With daily traffic approximated at 500,000 to 600,000, this constitutes a huge loss to the highway concessionary. Furthermore, RM13.7 million was spent to fix the hill and road, which is a huge amount of money. Because of the current scenario, there is a dire need to establish a proactive strategy to monitor the health of the slope, particularly the surface and subsurface soil movement,
THE IMPORTANCE OF WSN-BASED SLOPE MONITORING IN MALAYSIA
as a preemptive measure to detect the onset of a landslide. Wireless sensor network (WSN) with sensors attached provide a powerful solution to monitor the slope remotely. In this application, sensor instrumentations for slope monitoring are integrated with WSN nodes, which would collectively transfer the data wirelessly to a central server via a communication network infrastructure. Once the data are deposited in the server, it could be accessed remotely to provide a landslide hazard monitoring, predictive and analytical system. Advance mechanisms could be incorporated which send alarms should any of the monitored parameters exceed a threshold. One of the initiatives by Public Works Department (PWD) under its Slope Engineering Branch is to have a National Slope Master Plan. The goal of the study is to provide a National Slope Master Plan which provides detailed elements of a comprehensive and effective national policy, strategy and action plan for reducing risk from landsides on slopes nationwide. The objectives of the National Slope Masterplan are to:
• Developanationallandslidehazardmonitoring,predictionand early warning system.
• Developreal-timemonitoringandpredictioncapabilitieson both site specific and regional scales, to assist Federal, State, and local emergency managers determine the nature of landslide hazards and the extent of ongoing risks.
• Propose latestavailable technologiesandapplicationframework for monitoring landsl ide movement nationwide.
Figure 1: Landslide history in Malaysia
F E A T U R E A R T I C L E
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• Proposestate-of-the-arttechniqueswithrespecttoreal-time monitoring for incorporation with slope stability models.
To achieve these objectives, WSN could be adopted that provides maintenance-free slope monitoring system. WSN nodes only require mall power that could last for years with flexible network topology. The same sensor node could function as either an end node, router or coordinator. Some other advantages of using WSN for Slope Monitoring are as follows:
Figure 2 shows the system architecture for a typical WSN-based slope monitoring. Several types of sensor, such as Soil Moisture, In Place Inclinometer-IPI, Vibrating Wire Piezometer-VWP and Rain Gauge have been chosen to provide several types of parameters for slope monitoring. Those sensors are connected to the WSN nodes which transmit the data to the
gateway within the defined interval. The base station and gateway are placed next to the main road for easy access. The highest point of the sensor is installed 110m away from the gateway. With thick foliage in the path, getting a good signal at the receiver is a big challenge. As a result, Point 2 and 3 of WSN nodes can be configured as routers to relay the information received from Point 3 and 4, respectively. Point 1 and 4 act as end devices where the final destination of the information will be stored at the gateway. The gateway is configured such that it will send the data captured from each sensor to the main server through SMS or GmPRS via satellite module, every 4 hours with 1 hour data granularity. At the server side, the raw data will be converted into meaningful information and stored in the database. End user such as PWD and other government agencies could view the information via web access. The condition of the slope could be inferred based on sensor data information and an alert message could be sent if the parameter defined exceeds the threshold. Various type of data trending throughout the monitoring period could also be generated which will be useful for further R&Ds. Finally, it is clear that continuous slope monitoring is vital for Malaysia due to its past history of landslides. It is also clear that WSN Slope Monitoring provides maintenance-free slope monitoring due to its flexibility and autonomous operation. With the advancement of Wireless Sensor Network coupled with increased number of local expertise, Malaysia could position itself as a leader in WSN-based slope monitoring technology in the region.
Figure 2: System Architecture of WSN-based Slope Monitoring
F E A T U R E A R T I C L E
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The StandComm on Information and Publication is planning to publish the first mSET magazine in 2010. We wish to feature interesting articles on any issue related to Engineering and Technology. In order to make this magazine a success we hope to receive participation from the whole mSET community. Therefore, all readers are cordially invited to send in articles (either academic in nature or creative writing) to be published in the magazine. Articles should preferably be around 2/3 pages of A4 with interesting photos/figures either in Bahasa Malaysia or English.
What would you like to read in mSET’s magazine? This is the chance for you to publish your work/interests and to show your support to mSET! Together we can make it happen.
For enquiries, please contact;
Editor21st Century Professionals Newsletter
Malaysian Society for Engineering & Technologyc/o Housing Research Centre, Level 10, Block A, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang
