Friday 29 Mar 2024
By
main news image

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on January 8, 2020

CYBERJAYA: Malaysia is collaborating with China to develop Southeast Asia’s first next-generation vehicle (NxGV) hub here.

Yesterday, Malaysian and Chinese automotive researchers and Proton Holdings Bhd signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs), focusing on developing NxGV testing facilities locally.

An MoU was inked between the Malaysian Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) and China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co Ltd (Catarc) on knowledge transfer, standardising technical standards and constructing facilities within the test centre for a full-fledged NxGV test centre.

China state-owned Catarc provides technical standards for the country’s automotive industry, on top of policy and technology research and development, among others.

In Malaysia, under the National Automotive Policy 2019 (NAP), the NxGV development focuses on battery production, management systems, electric vehicles, and connected vehicle technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) and the 5G technology.

It was reported that under the NAP — to be revealed this year — Malaysia will provide the full definition of NxGV by 2022.

Meanwhile, Proton’s 50.1%-owner DRB-Hicom Bhd also inked an MoU with MARii, to establish academic and human capital development programmes under advanced automotive technologies modules.

Proton’s other shareholder is Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, which bought a 49.9% stake in Malaysia’s first national car maker in 2017.

The third MoU between Catarc and Proton provides the latter direct access to Catarc’s testing facilities in China, spanning different climate conditions and multiple technologies.

The MoUs give Catarc a firm presence in Malaysia after its first foray here in 2017, said Catarc general manager Zhou Hua.

“The expansion into Southeast Asia, after Germany and Japan, marks a step forward to promote its expertise and China’s automotive industry overseas,” he said.

Speaking to reporters later, MARii chief executive officer Datuk Madani Sahari declined to comment on the total investments involved in developing the testing facilities to be parked under MARii. “What I can say is these facilities must be completed by 2023,” said Madani.

Madani stated there is a draft on Catarc’s investment in the collaboration, as well as co-funding from the private sector and the government through MARii.

“There are a few areas to include: Big Data analytics, robotics, IoT and smart city planning centres.

“These are part and parcel of a bigger connected mobility [concept],” he said, adding that MARii had established collaborations with at least 10 companies with expertise in the aforementioned segments as well as telematics, not the usual play in the automotive sector.

      Print
      Text Size
      Share