The Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Centre (AMIC)

Transcription

1 The Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Centre (AMIC) Professor Geof Tomlinson, Faculty of Engineering and Professor Rebecca Hughes, Pro-Vice- Chancellor International University of Sheffield, UK Conference on Internationalisation for Job Creation and Economic Growth, SUNY, NY, April 2012

2 Content: The background to the creation of the Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Centre and the links to the partnership with the University of Sheffield via the AMRC with Boeing Key factors in creating the effective partnership Governance aspects of the AMIC Conclusions Acknowledgements

3 The University of Sheffield promotes its research globally and enhances knowledge transfer opportunities through international engagements. The University has a wide range of strategically important international initiatives linked to its research and research - led teaching and in particular its engagement with industry/business. The Faculty of Engineering which hosts the AMRC with Boeing (recently re-named the Advanced Manufacturing Institute) is one of the top in the UK and the Mechanical Engineering Department is 3 rd in the UK following the Universities of Cambridge and Imperial College. Malaysia is one of 120 countries that the University collaborates with and this led to the partnership that created the AMIC

4 The Background to the AMIC In 2010 the Malaysian Government highlighted the need to sustain Malaysia s competitiveness in the aerospace manufacturing industry through industry led collaborative R & D with the Malaysian Universities and, with the aid of the Universities, create a High Income Economy. They looked at several Governance models in the USA and Europe and chose the model based on the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC with Boeing) at the University of Sheffield, UK.

5 The AMRC is an exemplar of what can be achieved when Universities and Industry work effectively together. It is viewed by the world s leading Aerospace companies and supply chain as a model of excellence in delivering technology breakthroughs that directly benefit, in a significant way, the financial status of the companies involved. It is an industry led Research Centre whose culture calls for creativity and partnership building skills that are not normally seen (currently) as core to academic life (in particular where there is a traditional upstream culture of research ). It spans Apprenticeship schemes through to Doctoral Training Centres and its revenue is almost entirely from the external contracts it wins with and for industry. Starting from machining difficult aerospace materials it now has Centres in Advanced Manufacturing, Composites, Assembly, Nuclear Engineering, Structural Testing The AMRC model has been taken up by Rolls-Royce using an AXRC approach where the X represents a discipline eg AFRC is the Advanced Forging Research Centre, based in Scotland.

6 Case study: Titanium Fan Disk Original Time per slot = 54 mins Time per disk = 26 hrs Target = 18 mins/slot Achieved Time per slot = 1.5 mins Time per disk <2 hrs

7 The AMRC started operation in 2002 with 1 Professor and one industrial Technical Director from a local firm in Sheffield. It now comprises over 200 staff with a turnover > $60M/yr.

8 Partners

9 AMRC Structure AMRC is a department of the University AMRC Directors Each centre has core research and operational staff Factory of the Future Composites Centre UoS Aerospace Structural Testing Centre of Excellence in Customised Assembly Nuclear Engineering Centre Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Integrated Product Team (IPT) (Highly skilled, multi-disciplinary and flexible)

10 Factory of the Future Technologies developed and implemented in state of the art facility with zero carbon footprint.

11 Why does it work? Supply chain relationship between partners creating win win situation. Major OEMs will place orders with component suppliers who implement techniques developed Sub-contractors in supply chain will purchase tool and equipment from companies who demonstrate capability AMRC is a risk free environment to test tools, technologies and techniques developed Collaboration agreement in place from the start and all members sign in to it. who shares wins Academics focus on industrial problems. AMRC staff transition to the factory floor and demonstrate quantifiable time and cost benefits.

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18 What were the key factors in an effective partnership? In the case of Malaysia, the evidence that the AMRC had been highly successful via working with Government, Industry and the Universities led them to believe that by working with us they could accelerate their processes partnering with evidential success. Thus a scheme was developed, initiated by MIGHT (Malaysian Industry- Government Group for High Technology) to create the AMIC.

19 The scheme relied upon appropriate global partners who, with Government input would create a start-up fund for conducting R&D projects. The fund would be 50% Government with the other 50% coming from the industrial Founding members. An important aspect was that the lead industry should be a leading global aerospace company. Thus a route to market for technological projects was evident. The membership and structure was via a BoD, jointly chaired by the Government Science Advisor and a Senior Executive from the Lead Industry (EADS, France).

20 The Universities were represented by a lead member together with representatives from the remaining industrial founding (Lead) members and Ordinary members. An important aspect of the AMIC was to appoint a Chief Technical Officer (CTO), a Chief Operating Officer (COO) and a Lead University representative. The politics of getting this to work were not easy! The CTO and COO were readily established but the Lead University proved more difficult.

21 The Lead University The procedure employed to ensure a form of transparency was that interested Universities were invited to bid for the Lead university role. The bidding process identified a number of criteria to which was added a scoring system and the winner would be the University that was most able to support the objectives of the AMIC. A bidders briefing was conducted in the Government offices and one month was allowed for the interested universities to prepare their proposals.

22 The role of the Lead university was to coordinate and harness the expertise available in all the other universities towards the achievement of the AMIC s goal. It was expected that the Lead university would demonstrate a strong international academic standing and contribute a well structured research management system and IP policy, strong technological linkages and demonstrate effectiveness in networking. Eight criteria were applied: Research Center 25% Research Commitment 25% Financial Commitment 25% Expertise 5% Management support 5% Research activities 5% University collaborator 5% Academic programmes 5%

23 There was an expectation that the successful universities would commit research funds for up to five years made up of cash and in-kind, which is not typical in Europe. Also, only relevant evidence was considered. For example strong materials science, manufacturing, composites in the aerospace sector. Bidders submissions were considered by four independent examiners and six of the top Malaysian universities were shortlisted. Mapped against the eight criteria one University was chosen to become the Lead and would sit on the Research Technical Working Group (RTWG) working directly with the CTO and COO.

24 In addition, a Research Council was established (Chaired by the Lead University) where the university members of the AMIC could meet and discuss projects, collaboration, working methods. This reported directly to the CTO and the RTWG.

25 Funding Mechanism The funding model was based on matched funding from the Malaysian Government and the Lead members (excluding the Universities money). The funds were ring-fenced for R & D projects and operational costs. A cash flow chart showed that the AMIC should be self financing after 5 years. A two Tier membership system was introduced with Lead members paying RM 200,000 as an annual subscription fee and Ordinary members paying RM 50,000. Lead members could vote and steer the strategic activities of the AMIC. Ordinary members could attend BoD meetings and vote at the general meetings.

26 R&D Themes The R & D themes of the AMIC were linked to the countries ambitions (to assist Malaysia s aerospace manufacturing industry in moving up the global value chain/enhance the technology transfer from the Universities to local industry) and to utilise their natural resources such as natural fibres, algae, rice etc. Draft roadmaps were assembled and from these three initial themes were identified: Biofuels Aerostructures New Materials

27 Based upon these the member Universities were tasked with submitting projects that had to demonstrate an industry partner ( the thinking being that the projects should be industrially led). The submitted projects were assessed by the RTWG against a set of standard criteria which included competitive advantages, expected outcomes, working principles to solve the problems, drivers for cost saving, innovation, benefit to wealth creation, route to market, funding requirements. We are currently just starting some of these projects

28 Conclusions The governance and working structures for the Malaysian AMIC started off using the UoS AMRC model. This was effective in that it provided a platform to potentially rapidly build the working environment and to potentially minimise any obvious mistakes The support from the Malaysian Government was very important, in terms of engagement at a high level (Science Advisor) and in terms of a start up fund Identifying a road-map that satisfied the Government and the founding members in terms of benefits is essential for a strong partnership

29 Recognising the need to incorporate a suitable cultural model improved the coordination and development of the processes. Different cultures not only exist in different countries but in different organisations and bridging country capacity building via educational, Industry/Government needs is a difficult task. A conduit has been created between the UoS (AMRC) and the AMIC that allows information to flow in terms of technical activities, processes and working practices, a form of mentorship exists via a technical advisor. The AMIC is a pilot scheme and if it delivers it is probable that the Malaysian Government will extend the model to other sectors of industry and the Universities.

30 Acknowledgements: We would like to acknowledge the support of the Malaysian Government, MIGHT and the AMIC for their agreement to use the material contained in this presentation.