Mechatronics students train alongside industry experts at RM60mil Batu Kawan site under academic-corporate collaboration.
ENGINEERING students in Penang can now earn a mechatronics degree while training at an industrial campus, under a partnership between UCSI University and ViTrox Corporation Bhd.
The programme will see students based at ViTrox College in Batu Kawan where they learn in classrooms and on the factory floor, working alongside engineers and solving real-world problems as they earn their degrees.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who witnessed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing, said the collaboration supported the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) which aimed to train 60,000 engineers by 2030.
“We need to move beyond assembly and testing, into higher- value activities like integrated circuit design, advanced packaging, wafer fabrication, and research and development.
“Today’s MOA between ViTrox and UCSI is a strategic investment in talent and the future of our economy.
“Our success will not be defined by the investments we attract, but by the talent we nurture and future we build,” he said.
Under the agreement, day-to-day learning will take place at ViTrox College, with students gaining access to the newly launched ViTrox Innovation Lab, a RM60mil facility equipped with cyber-physical systems, collaborative robots, artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) devices and autonomous process nodes.
Access to the lab is limited to students from ViTrox, UCSI and Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Chow said Penang must continue to evolve as Malaysia’s leading electrical and electronics hub.
“To support this, the state government is building a stronger and more inclusive talent ecosystem,” he said.
“The Penang Chip Design Academy and the Shared IC Design Lab are strengthening semiconductor design capabilities, while programmes like the GBS Industry Academy 2.0, AI for Manufacturing Programme and AI Sandbox for Industries are advancing our readiness in AI and digitalisation.
“However, the government can only do so much. Ultimately, success depends on strong collaboration between universities and industry,” he added.
On the development front, work on an 8ha campus site in Batu Kawan, approved years ago for ViTrox College, is now in progress.
Construction of its first two blocks is underway and the site is expected to be fully operational within three years.
Chow said ViTrox had applied for additional land in Batu Kawan, which is being evaluated by Penang Development Corporation.
ViTrox president and group chief executive officer Datuk Chu Jenn Weng said the partnership would redefine how engineers were trained.
“Our collaboration with UCSI and the launch of the ViTrox Innovation Lab is about redefining how we nurture talent.
“Through our work-based learning model and three-mentor model comprising academy, industry and life, students will learn not only in classrooms, but in real environments,” he said.
Chu said students would work alongside engineers, solve real challenges and become industry-ready when they graduate.
UCSI president and vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir said the partnership aligned with national needs.
“Malaysia has trained around 14,000 engineers since the NSS was launched in 2024.
“We really need to bring those numbers up if we are to reach and surpass the national target of 60,000.
“UCSI has always had its finger on the industry’s pulse, and we make it a point to partner with the best companies to bring the industry into the lecture hall.
“We are proud to partner with one of Malaysia’s top technology companies, and this collaboration dovetails nicely with UCSI’s 40th anniversary. I am sure that both organisations will empower scores of engineers who will go on to drive innovation and lead change,” said Prof Siti Hamisah.
ViTrox College principal Dr Janaka Low Chee Keong said the collaboration marked a major step forward.
“This moment represents not just a partnership, but a shared commitment to shaping the future through education.”
