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Azbil and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Sign MoU to Strengthen Comprehensive Collaborative Relationship

TOKYO, July 10, 2024: Azbil Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange code: 6845) has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on strengthening its comprehensive collaborative relationship, including industry-academia partnerships, with the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT) of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia^* (UTM).

Taking part in the MoU signing ceremony on May 28, 2024, were Akiko Ogino, President of Azbil Academy, an in-house institution specializing in human resource development, and YBhg. Prof. Datuk Ir. Ts. Dr. Ahmad Fauzi bin Ismail, Vice-Chancellor of UTM. The ceremony was held in the Grand Banquet Hall of UTM’s Kuala Lumpur campus during the Malaysia-Japan Industrial & Innovation EXPO (MJIIX) organized by MJIIT.

The ceremony was attended by Minister Karimata of the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia; Deputy Minister YB Datuk Ts. Mustapha Sakmud and Secretary General Zaini Bin Ujang, both of Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education; and Professor Ts. Dr. Ali Bin Selamat, Dean of MJIIT. Also in attendance were members of the UTM and the local Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as representatives of several Japanese companies.

Before the actual ceremony, President Ogino gave a speech to mark the occasion of this MoU with MJIIT-UTM. She discussed the relationship that has developed between UTM and Azbil, and, looking ahead, what it is that both signatories—and both countries—hope to realize by strengthening and expanding partnerships between industry and academia.

Azbil hired an MJIIT-UTM graduate in 2019 and accepted an internship student from MJIIT-UTM in 2023. Azbil has also worked with MJIIT-UTM on the Clean Energy Future Initiative for ASEAN (CEFIA)—an initiative led by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to facilitate collaboration between the public and private sectors with the aim of achieving decarbonization within the ASEAN region—developing tools (for energy-conservation education and surveys) that the students can use. In February 2024, as part of its CEFIA activities, Azbil organized an energy-conservation seminar for industry. Going forward, we will further promote joint research and development projects based on measurement and control technologies with an emphasis on decarbonization technologies.

Regarding this MoU, Akihiko Naruse, Azbil’s Managing Corporate Executive in charge of Human Resources and Education, explains that “UTM is Malysia’s oldest science and technology university and one of the finest educational institutions in the country. Indeed, the UTM/MJIIT graduate who joined Azbil five years ago is extremely talented and is today working on leading-edge projects for energy-conservation control in ASEAN. By further strengthening collaboration with MJIIT-UTM —promoting R&D that draws on the strengths of both institutions, and exchanging knowhow and human resources—we think that we will be able to foster talented individuals who can tackle a variety of global issues. It is our belief that the key to realizing a sustainable society is investment in human resource development. We are committed to collaborating on both technology research and education. And it is our hope that this collaboration leads to the hiring of more talented students from UTM.”

Guided by the azbil Group’s corporate philosophy of “human-centered automation,” we aim to expand and grow our business through strengthened human capital investment and to make contributions that lead “in series” to a sustainable society.

* Posted information is accurate as of the date of announcement.