MARii Satellite Centre in Sabah Officially Opened

Kota Kinabalu, 16 February 2019 – MARii, or the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (formerly known as the Malaysia Automotive Institute), has opened its first MARii Satellite centre in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. As the institute’s first centre outside of the Klang Valley, and its first under the MARii Satellite network, MARii Satellite Sabah will allow for more extensive reach in East Malaysia for technology adoption within the automotive, robotics and IoT (Internet of Things) sectors as well as overall mobility.

The MARii Satellite Sabah is located in Donggongon Avenue, about 15 minutes from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport and Kota Kinabalu city centre. MARii Satellite Sabah was launched by Minister of International Trade and Industry, YB Datuk Darell Leiking. Covering six storeys, MARii Satellite Sabah houses advanced product design, process design, data analytics and special training facilities, developed to immediately allow participation of Sabahans in advanced technology applications for automotive manufacturing, aftersales and overall mobility, which can be commonly utilised in other sectors such as furniture, agriculture, plantation, oil & gas and fisheries.

“Since its establishment as the Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI), centres of competency have been established such as MADeC, MAReC and NETC within the Klang Valley. Technology application that has been developed by MARii is not just for the automotive sector, but can also be applied within numerous sectors in Sabah”, said Datuk Darell Leiking.

Datuk Leiking added that today’s materials and manufacturing technology is moving towards more advanced materials such as composites, carbon fibre and graphene, while the manufacturing sector is increasing its levels of automation that requires the adoption of robotics and IoT.

MARii CEO, Dato’ Madani Sahari explained that the MARii Satellite bridges the geographical divide between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, as it allows access to technology adoption which are specific to the needs and requirements to the localities and communities in Sabah.

“The MARii Satellite addresses the logistical challenge of accessing the technologies and advanced methodologies used in the mobility industry, by bringing it direct to the Sabah population. More importantly, it is also a gateway for Sabahans to access MARii’s expanded network of expertise and other facilities throughout the country”, he added.

The Satellite is equipped with a Design Lab, hosting advanced product and process design applications such as Computer Aided Design and Additive Manufacturing facilities and equipment.

In addition, the Satellite also acts as a big data management and telematics centre to enhance information and data analytics, allowing for better insights and decision making for businesses. In the areas of human capital development, the Satellite is equipped with a complete training Dojo for manufacturing, aftersales and remanufacturing. The Dojo system in the Satellite uses the same experiential training system that has been implemented in the MARii Resource Centre (MAReC) located in Bukit Beruntung, Selangor, and will be the centre for MARii’s training programmes such as IPC, AICE, MARii Graduate Apprenticeship, DEP, LPS and PIMA.

During the official launch, Datuk Darell Leiking also announced that several programmes would be implemented immediately with Sabah stakeholders within the immediate vicinity of Kota Kinabalu. These are:

1. Five schools will become MARii Adopted Schools (Sekolah Angkat MARii) and will receive assistance through direct access to learning equipment, skill certification for teachers, as well as upskilling programmes for school leavers interested to start their careers in the automotive industry and relevant sectors.
2. 400 trainees from Sabah will enrol in MARii’s Industry-Led Professional Certificate (IPC), adding to the 1,200 Sabah trainees that have graduated from the programme since July 2018.
3. MARii signed two Certificates of Collaboration (CoC) with local stakeholders in the areas of robotics, IoT and also upstream furniture design for the Sabah market.
   • MARii signed a CoC with Kinabalu Coders , an association that specialises in robotics and IoT programmes for the public in Sabah. Among the aims of the CoC is to enhance awareness and application of IoT and robotics technologies, as well as establishing a pool of local experts in Sabah to further develop local capabilities in the state.
   • MARii signed a collaboration with Syarikat Perniagaan Perabot Nuri Sdn. Bhd. to develop capabilities in customised furniture design through the MARii Satellite Sabah. The collaboration also allows for increased transfer of knowledge on the Sabah furniture market, and to develop further linkages in the styling and engineering design of furniture through MARii’s expansive network.
4. MARii and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) also announced a collaboration to bring the International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2019) to Kota Kinabalu. ICAME is a biennial international platform for experts to share and discuss ideas and research in all relevant aspects to mechanical engineering. This year’s ICAME will be held from 14th to 16th August 2019 in Kota Kinabalu.