Page 15 - Malaysia Aerospace IR (Jan 2020).INTERACTIVE

15

Business Delegation with the participation of local companies. SME Corporation Malaysia, in the meantime,
is continuing to focus on capacity-building for aerospace SMEs, with another ten companies have
been enrolled under the Aerospace Manufacturing Initiative: Developing SMEs in The Global Aerospace
Manufacturing Industry.

AMIC with the support of NAICO, has also spearheaded aerospace R&T activities under the banner of
the High Value Added and Complex Products Initiative of the 11MP. For 2019, the R&T projects involved
stakeholder collaboration with companies such as Airbus, Rolls-Royce, CTRM, Spirit AeroSystems, Senior
Aerospace UPECA and Sepang Aircraft Engineering as well as other industrial research collaborators,
universities, and research institutions. Some of the key focus areas were advanced manufacturing processes
such as automation within the aero-manufacturing supply chain and robotic processes for automated
fibre placements to produce several large complex prototypes such as the fan cowl. Another AMIC project
in 2019 was the completion of a resin transfer mould project to produce a prototype for an A320 under
wing panel and out of autoclave development for manufacturing airplane panels. Both projects were
undertaken to meet demand for rapid and high-quality manufacturing of aerospace parts.

On the automation and digitalisation front, AMIC has developed robots for VR-robot control; drilling of
aircraft products; paperless tracking & tracing of manufacturing components, logistics, and repair
progression; transferring of semi-assembled components in warehouses; auto-painting of aircraft radomes;
auto-non-destructive testing for radome inspection; dashboarding of repair process; and automatic jigs
for transferring & repair process. AMIC and NAICO are also collaborating with AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines,
Malindo, Petronas & CAAM to produce Malaysia’s own bio-jet fuel before 2025. AMIC also launched the 1st
National Aerospace Hackathon (called AVIATAR) together with MITI, NAICO, Ministry of Education, AirAsia,
and GIFAS in collaboration with Invest Selangor, Airbus, Air France Industries, Daher, Safran, and Thales.
The event was hosted by the University of Nottingham (Malaysia) and LIMA 2019.

To address the requirements for the next generation in human capital development, NAICO collaborated
with DSD to review and develop training syllabuses that are aligned with new technology adaptation and
skills as required by the industry. A joint NAICO-DSD study on Supply and Demand of TVET Workforce in
Malaysia’s Aerospace Industry provided functional data to serve as a guide in the expansion of aerospace
occupational prospects. The study indicated that 7,542 additional workers will be needed by the industry
in the next five years, of which 84% would be TVET graduates. NAICO also collaborated with the Malaysia
Board of Technologists (MBOT) and the Technological Association Malaysia (TAM) to develop continuous
professional development programmes as well as advocating registration for aerospace professional
technologists and certified technicians.

The long terms prospects are bright for the domestic aerospace industry given that the Asia Pacific
Region is expected to have the highest growth in new aircraft deliveries over the next decade. Airbus has
forecasted deliveries of 16,082 new aircrafts to the region by 2037. Boeing has projected that the region
will become the largest market, with 17,390 aircraft deliveries by 2038. Against this backdrop, Malaysia’s
aerospace is seen as having immense potential to advance further and to maintain its competitiveness
through R&T, strategic partnerships with international & regional players and the adoption of Industry 4.0
& digital technologies.

To leverage on the country’s existing advantage in the industry, the role of NAICO will be expanded through
the establishment of a dedicated aerospace agency which will be known as the National Aerospace
Industry Corporation Malaysia (NAICO Malaysia). NAICO Malaysia will champion the growth of the
domestic aerospace industry beyond 2020 to achieve the targets of the Malaysian Aerospace Industry
Blueprint 2030.