National Instruments to set up academy for Malaysian SMEs

• National Instruments, TPM Corporation and SME Corp to establish National Instruments Academy & Innovation Nucleus
• NI-AIN to champion SME innovation, talent development and intellectual property creation

NATIONAL Instruments has announced the establishment of the National Instruments Academy & Innovation Nucleus (NI-AIN), in collaboration with Technology Park Malaysia Corporation (TPM) and SME Corp Malaysia.
 
The three parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (pic) to do so, National Instruments said in a statement.
 
NI-AIN is one of the Entry Point Projects (EPPs) under the Malaysian Government’s Economic Transformation Program (ETP), and is geared towards enabling and supporting a “Test and Measurement Innovation Hub” in the industrial corridors of  Malaysia.
 
As a shared laboratory infrastructure powered by National Instruments’ technology platforms and tools, NI-AIN aims to lower entry barriers and enable access to facilities for SMEs (small and medium enterprises) to nurture innovation, develop the talent pool, build capabilities and capacities and promote intellectual property creation amongst SMEs in Malaysia.
 
The shared laboratory will be hosted at Technology Park of Malaysia and is expected to be fully operational by the first quarter of 2013, the company said in its statement.
 
NI-AIN will house eight technology laboratories fully equipped with the latest National Instruments hardware and software in automated test, control and measurement.
 
These labs will be used for training and certification and human capital development in science and technology. They would also enable local SMEs to innovate in vertical industry applications such as control and instrumentation, radio frequency and wireless applications, green technology, energy, transportation, oil and gas and agro-science, National Instruments said.
 
As part of its expanding presence in the region Asia and to cater to a growing industrial customer base in Malaysia and Asia as a whole,
National Instruments also said it is investing US$80 million in a research and development and manufacturing facility in Penang; the first phase is due for completion and operation by 2013.