MADACorp seal collaboration to support agricultural technology development

PEKAN, 6 June 2023 – Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) is strengthening its strategic joint venture with Syarikat Bisnis Peladang Sdn. Bhd. (MADACorp) through signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to improve agricultural technology to increase paddy and rice productivity.

The ceremony saw the Senior Director, UMP Research and Innovation Department, Professor Dr. Mohd Hasbi Ab Rahim and MADACorp Senior Manager Rahizal Rahim sign the MoU.

Also present at the event were the Director of the Centre for Advanced Industrial Technology (AIT) UMP, Dr. Nasrul Hadi Johari, principal fellows of AIT and members of the MADACorp delegation.

According to Professor Dr. Mohd Hasbi, the collaboration will benefit both institutions and, even more significantly, can help MADACorp improve the quality and productivity of rice seeds, thus helping farmers in the country.

“The university is confident that this project will be of great benefit to MADACorp as well as UMP itself.

“UMP will contribute expertise in research, consultancy and technical services related to agricultural technology to help upgrade the industry’s achievements to be more advanced in line with the Industrial Revolution 4.0.

“In addition, the expansion of this strategic network is in line with UMP’s slogan ‘Technology for Society’ as one of the elements given special attention in the UMP Strategic Plan 2021-2025 related to ‘Innovation with Industry Collaboration’,” he said.

Furthermore, MADACorp is one of the major companies in the country’s paddy and rice industry and is directly responsible for the strategic concept of national food security.

This collaboration also ensures that the quality of the country’s food security agenda can be further enhanced.

At the same time, he believed that this collaboration is not only limited to what is recorded in the MoU document but also flexible in its framework to allow UMP and MADACorp to explore other collaboration prospects that can be developed in the future.

In addition, MADACorp delegates had the opportunity to visit and survey facilities around the Magnetic Lab, Makers Lab and solar panel sites to see more closely some of the UMP research outcomes with the concepts of the internet of things (IoT) and smart manufacturing.

By: Nur Ainaa Adhreena Muhamad Shukri, Corporate Communications Division, Chancellery Department

Translation by: Dr.  Rozaimi  Abu  Samah, Engineering  College/Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology