USM, MYREKA STRENGTHEN UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY COLLABORATION THROUGH MOU, COLLABORATIVE ROBOT DONATION

NIBONG TEBAL, 12 August 2026 - Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), through the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (PPKEE), today strengthened its strategic collaboration with MYREKA Technologies Sdn. Bhd. through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

PPKEE Dean, Professor Ir. Ts. Dr. Shahrel Azmin Bin Sundi @ Suandi, said that university-industry collaboration is important to ensure that engineering education, particularly research activities and talent development, remains aligned with current technological needs and developments.

According to him, the collaboration also supports the implementation of PPKEE's new curriculum through the Industry Infused Programme (IIP), which provides students with greater exposure to the actual industry environment.

"Under the IIP, final-year students have the opportunity to spend their entire final semester with industry, with only the Final Year Project (FYP) as the course they are required to complete. This provides industry with an opportunity to mentor and develop students before they embark on their careers as engineers," he said.

Through the collaboration, MYREKA Technologies also contributed an OMRON TM20 Collaborative Robot (Cobot) to PPKEE to support student learning, research and skills development activities.

Shahrel said the contribution would provide students with hands-on experience in collaborative robotics, industrial automation, machine vision and manufacturing technology, while also supporting laboratory teaching, Final Year Projects and Capstone Projects.

"The equipment also provides opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds, including electrical, electronic and mechatronics engineering, to work together in developing solutions that integrate multiple engineering disciplines," he said.

Meanwhile, MYREKA Technologies Sdn. Bhd. Director, Lee Eu Beng, said the collaboration with USM reflected the company's confidence in the University's role in developing talent and generating new ideas that can subsequently be translated by industry into real-world applications.

He said MYREKA, which was founded on the belief that Malaysia is not only capable of using technology but also creating and developing its own technology, now has more than 70 engineers involved in electronic systems design as well as software development and testing for international companies.

According to him, the contribution of the Cobot was not merely about providing a machine to the University, but also served as a platform for learning, research and innovation that could inspire new ideas and nurture future talent in technology.

"The best investment is in human talent. If one day this contribution becomes the starting point for the emergence of a technopreneur who takes Malaysia's name to the global stage, then this contribution will have achieved the highest aspiration we have envisioned," he said.

Text: Siti Faizah Abd Halim/Photo: Muhammad Taufik Abdul Rahman