Ingenieur Vol 80 ingenieur 2019 octoberfinal | Page 15

CHALLENGES AHEAD The aerospace and defence global market is expanding rapidly. Malaysia must tap into the opportunities presented in this sector. We are fortunate that our aerospace industry was initiated in the early 1990s and has somewhat matured since then. However, our aerospace industry still employs most of the technology from overseas, which in some ways stifles our independence and ability to expand in the direction and pace that we aspire to. In 2015, MiGHT recommended that the industry must undergo a paradigm shift in order to be more competitive and forward looking. Some of the recommendations are as follows: 1. Support development and enhancement of local players’ capability to participate in major strategic projects; 2. Transform from being technology users to technology suppliers by investing in Research and Technology (R&T); 3. Increase Malaysia’s local content in aircraft manufacturing by participating in international aircraft development programmes; 4. Reduce dependency on foreign military aircraft upgrades by developing capability of local companies in design and engineering solutions; and 5. Remain ahead of regional competitors by developing a strong competitive advantage in identified focus areas. Another challenge is to further develop local technical capability and competency to capture more complex work packages. Hence, we need to explore new technologies, develop new sustainable materials, and adopt advanced processes in our manufacturing and MRO activities. The main ingredient to sustain the aerospace industry will be the focus on industry-led R&T activities. The recent visit by the Malaysian Prime Minister to Turkey may also pave the way for collaboration and technology transfer from countries such as Turkey that are willing to impart its aerospace technological knowledge. Another way of securing advanced technology is by acquiring significant high-tech companies, where these technologies can be acquired and utilised immediately. REFERENCE h t t p s : //w w w. s l i d e s h a r e . n e t / L e e n a Ly n n / malaysian-aerospace-industry-blueprint-2030 https://maia.my/portfolio-items/sme-aerospace/ https://maia.my/portfolio-items/sme-aerospace/ ht tps://w w w.my foresight.my/2015/03/17/ shamsul-kamar-abu-samah-3/ h t t p s : // w w w . d e f e n s e n e w s . c o m / global/2019/04/28/heres-how-much-global- military-spending-rose-in-2018/ https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2019-06-17- Boeing-Forecasts-8-7-Trillion-Aerospace-and- Defense-Market-through-2028 https://maia.my/portfolio-items/sme-aerospace/ h t t p s : // w w w . c t r m . c o m . m y /c o r p o r a t e . html#section-about https://maia.my/portfolio-items/sme-aerospace/ ht tps://w w w.wearefinn.com/topic s/post s/ five-trends-that-will-shape-the-aerospace-and- defense-industry-in-2019/https://www.mida.gov. my/home/aerospace/posts/ https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/ top-5-aerospace-trends-now-future https://www.atkinsglobal.com/~/media/Files/A/ Atkins-Corporate/aviation-trends-white-paper- digital.pdf ht tps://w w w.wearefinn.com/topic s/post s/ five-trends-that-will-shape-the-aerospace-and- defense-industry-in-2019/ ht tp s://w w w.my fore sight .my/wp - c ontent / uploads/2015/03/MyForesight _ FA%28lores%292.pdf https://www.theborneopost.com/2019/04/21/ malaysian-aerospace-back-on-the-radar/ h t t p s : // w w w . e n g i n e e r i n g . c o m / AdvancedManufacturing /Ar ticleID/18315/ Aerospace-Trends-to-Watch-in-2019.aspx h t t p s : // w w w . t h e s t a r . c o m . m y / n e w s / nation/2019/07/27/aerospace -technolog y- malaysia-must-grab-opportunity-offered-by-turkey- says-dr-m 13