Hearken industry 4.0 demands

This photo provided by Alireza Ramezani, University of Illinois, shows a Bat Bot, a three-ounce flying robot that they say can be more agile at getting into treacherous places than standard drones. Because it mimics the unique and more flexible way bats fly, this new robot prototype can do a better and safer job getting into disaster sites and scoping out construction zones than those bulky drones with spinning rotors, said the three authors of a study released Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, in the journal Science Robotics. (Alireza Ramezani/University of Illinois via AP)

INDUSTRY-academia partnership has been on the nation’s agenda for years now. Many attempts have been made to strengthen the partnership. Few would dispute that more need to be done.

On May 23, UCSI University again hosted a discourse on how best to strengthen the partnership. This time the focus was on the 4th industrial revolution or industry 4.0. More than 200 participants attended. Minister of Science. Technology and Innovation (Mosti) Datuk Seri Alfred Madius Tangau gave the keynote address on the implications of industry 4.0 on the nation’s future. In his address, he discussed at length how Mosti is taking the lead in various STI initiatives. Top on the list is the development of the nation’s STI MasterPlan where industry 4.0 will be strongly featured.