SHAH ALAM, Nov 13 — Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Selangor are encouraged to use the expertise and technology provided by Kumpulan SIRIM Bhd (formerly known as Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia) to improve the quality of their products as well as to prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0).

State Investment, Industry and Commerce, and Small and Medium Enterprises Committee chairman Datuk Teng Chang Khim said the move is important for SME entrepreneurs in Selangor to keep pace with the current technological developments and to compete in the future.

"To stay relevant, companies are encouraged to keep abreast of new technologies by investing in three areas, namely automation, talent and skills development, as well as innovation.

"SIRIM is ready to play an important role in supporting the state’s industrial development goals through skills development and human capital development,” he said at the SIRIM-Industry Engagement Programme here today.

Also present were SIRIM vice-president (strategic planning) Goay Peck Sim and Invest Selangor Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Hasan Azhari Idris.

Teng said the federal government had allocated RM210 million starting this year until 2021 to support local SMEs to migrate to IR 4.0.

According to him, the Malaysian Productivity Corporation will carry out a Readiness Assessment to help up to 500 SMEs to migrate to IR4.0 technology.

"The Industry 4.0 Readiness Assessment (Industry4WRD-RA) is a comprehensive programme to help firms evaluate their capabilities and readiness to adopt the IR 4.0 technologies and processes,” he said.

Meanwhile, SIRIM president and group chief executive Prof Dr Ahmad Fadzil Mohamad Hani, in his speech read out by Goay, said it has collaborated with a German research organisation, Fraunhofer Institute, to help boost the development of local SMEs.

He said the strategic collaboration encompassed a technology audit programme in the field of technology applications to help SME entrepreneurs understand their own strengths and weaknesses and improve their companies.

"The findings of this audit will help them to formulate action plans to increase productivity, technology management capabilities and value chains. It is also useful to help the company to become more competitive and productive.

"As of November, a total of 831 SME entrepreneurs have participated in the programme and out of that 251 are from Selangor. This has made the state the most active programme recipients,” he said.

He said SIRIM has also provided services in IR 4.0, Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET), green environment, technology-based companies and the aerospace sector.

He said that in promoting technology among local entrepreneurs, SIRIM has also introduced the usage of the internet of things (IoT).

"For example, SIRIM has helped stingless bee farmers to increase their kelulut honey production without the use of chemical pesticide.

"Under our technology commercialisation initiative, SIRIM has successfully commercialised technologies such as anti-fungal products, LPG composite tanks and introduced new products such as synthetic bone that are widely used in the field of dentistry,” he said.

About 200 representatives from government agencies, industry associations and entrepreneurs in Selangor have participated in the SIRIM-Industry Engagement Programme which emphasised the importance of research and development, manpower management, quality, training, testing and certification. — Bernama