SIRIM, Hitachi team up to offer industry 4.0 digital solutions to SMEs

SIRIM, Hitachi team up to offer industry 4.0 digital solutions to SMEs

14 Dec 2020

SIRIM Bhd and Hitachi Asia (M) Sdn Bhd are collaborating to introduce and deploy Industry 4.0 cloud-based digital solutions to Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing industry.

SIRIM president and group chief executive, Datuk Dr Ahmad Fadzil Mohamad Hani said the solutions would be tailored to the needs of modern enterprises and made affordable at the Smart Manufacturing Experience Centre in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.

He said the centre would enable SMEs to assess, learn and understand relevant platforms or technology and use cases to propel the SMEs into the Industry 4.0 era.

“As technology adoption is still low in manufacturing and services industries in Malaysia, SIRIM will take one step at a time when assisting these industries.

“SMEs can achieve Industry 4.0 through the cyber-physical system which includes digitalisation, connectivity and analytics,” he said at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between SIRIM and Hitachi, which was held virtually here Monday.

Also present were Japanese ambassador to Malaysia Hiroshi Oka, SIRIM chairman, Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali and Hitachi managing director, Chew Huat Seng.

Under the MoU, SIRIM would introduce a computerised maintenance management system as well as an inventory analysis solution to the SME manufacturers.

A digital supply chain quality control solution would also be introduced to the SME manufacturers, based on Hitachi’s global supply chain-related know-how and technologies.

Ahmad Fadzil said that based on research on 208 manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia, over 75 per cent were at the level of Industry 2.0 and 15 per cent at Industry 3.0, while only about 2.0 per cent were at Industry 4.0 level. “A lot more must be done to support our local manufacturers to use Industry 4.0 technologies.

“Using electronic and information technology systems that further automate the production, the SMEs can move from Industry 2.0 to Industry 3.0,” he said.

Later at a press conference, Ahmad Fadzil expressed optimism that the take-up rate for this centre would be higher given the rising awareness on digitalisation following the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the numerous government initiatives under the National Economic Recovery Plan (PENJANA) for SMEs to move towards digitalisation would attract SMEs to utilise the Smart Manufacturing Experience Centre. 

Source: Bernama