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AKADEMI SAINS MALAYSIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES MALAYSIA

SURVEY ON INDUSTRY AWARENESS AND PERCEPTION ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION (STI)

Introduction Science, Technology & Innovation (STI) have been identified and acknowledged as one of the key drivers of Malaysia’s future growth towards achieving a developed nation status. As a progressive nation, we continue to strengthen our national policies and infrastructure to support the aspirations of high-potential companies both locally and globally. While the Government continues in its efforts to build an STI empowered community & enabled economy, the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) is in the process of reaching out to the industry to document various challenges, opportunities and motivational forces for companies to adopt STI solutions for new growth. Our sincere effort is to solicit feedback from various industry players, which will form the basis for informed planning and going-forward strategies. These will be captured in a dedicated chapter on Energising Industries in the ASM Science Outlook 2016-2017 report. Participation in this study is voluntary and there are no known or anticipated risks. The research involves a series of questions which will take less than 30 minutes to answer. This survey will involve questions about STI awareness among industry players. At any point, you may decline answering any of the questions or withdraw from the study without negative consequences.

Data Protection Policy All data collected is confidential and your anonymity will be protected in any reports or publications. All records will be

handled with confidentiality and only the Academy of Sciences Malaysia reserves the right to access the data. No

information regarding your identity or that of your company will be disclosed and all data will be anonymous. The entire

database can be archived by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia for a period of up to 10 years. Your data could

eventually be used for other research projects. In this eventuality, such projects will require full ethics certification.

I consent voluntarily to participate in this survey: ☐ Yes ☐ No Date: …………………….

Please complete and return to: For enquiries, please contact:

STI Strategic Studies Division Academy of Sciences Malaysia

Level 20, West Wing, MATRADE Tower Jalan Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Off Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Hendy : hendy@akademisains.gov.my

Shaneeta : shaneeta@akademisains.gov.my

Telephone No. : +603 6203 0633 Fax No. : +603 6203 0634

Before : 10 April 2017 Homepage : www.akademisains.gov.my

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SECTION A: RESPONDENT INFORMATION Position : ______________________________________ Email Address* : ______________________________________ Company : ______________________________________ Address of Company : ______________________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________________

Homepage of Company : ______________________________________ * Solely for the purpose of further clarification on this survey What is the main industry or sector of your company :

Oil, Gas & Energy Palm Oil Rubber Manufacturing Construction Mining Environment Transport Wholesale & Retail Banking and Financial Services Tourism

Business Services (Business Process Outsourcing) Communications Content and Infrastructure Education Agriculture (Food, Fisheries, Forestry) Healthcare Electronics and Electrical Halal Consultancy Government Agency Other (please specify): ……………………………………

What is your company’s categorisation :

Small & Medium Enterprise (SME) Multinational Corporation (MNC) Other (please specify): …………………………..

What is the ownership structure of your company?

Locally owned Foreign owned Joint venture Other (please specify): …………………………..

Please indicate the size of your company :

a) Manufacturing Sector :

Turnover (RM) <300K 300K–15M 15M–50M >50M Employees <5 5—75 75—200 >200

b) Services & Other Sectors :

Turnover (RM) <300K 300K–3M 3M–20M >20M Employees <5 5—30 30—75 >75

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SECTION B: AWARENESS & CURRENT STANDING

1. Are you aware of any national policies and/or infrastructure that supports the industry to achieve local, regional

and/or global growth?

Yes No 2. Have you previously or are you currently receiving assistance (financial / technical / training / program) from any

government agency or department?

Yes No (please proceed to Question 3)

2.1 If YES, which of the following government agencies/departments were involved in administrating the

assistance? (You may select more than ONE)

MOSTI Bioeconomy Corporation MATRADE MITI MDEC MIDA SME Corporation MTDC MIGHT AIM MARDI SIRIM MREPC CIDB MPOB Other (please specify): …………………………..

2.2 Please state the type of assistance.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

3. What were your top THREE priorities that aided the development or growth of your business over the past 5 years?

Finance and profit ICT hardware / solutions

Transfer or license of frontier technology Technology guidance and application training Critical infrastructure for advancement Internet services

Certification or Standards Manufacturing of IT related products Market driven research & development Government procurement Research collaboration with MNCs, research companies and universities Business development for high technology platforms (commercialisation) Pioneer innovative information and communication technologies Alternative Middleware Platforms / Solutions Other (please specify): …………………………..

4. In which areas do you foresee an increase in your overall corporate spending in the next 5 years?

New products & services Acquisition of business Information technology Geographic expansion Research and technology Advertising and marketing Green sustainability initiative Employee training and development Opening of new plants/branches Other (please specify): …………………………..

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5. Does your company conduct, join or promote any STI related programs/activities/events to people outside of academia and industry? (Examples of such activities include, but are not limited to outreach activities to school children and public exhibitions on STI).

Yes (please proceed to Question 5.1) No (please proceed to Question 5.2)

5.1 If YES, indicate the type of programmes/activities/events related to STI that your organisation conducts, joins

or promotes to the public:

Lectures and forums Outreach to schools Exhibitions Appearances on TV or radio Other (please specify): …………………………..

5.2 If NO, indicate your reason for not conducting, joining or promoting any STI related programs/activities/events:

Insufficient funds Busy schedule and time Such programmes are unnecessary Poor participation from public Other (please specify): …………………………..

6. How much does the technology contribute in furthering your objectives?

(On a scale of 1 for being less extensive and 5 for being very extensive)

Less

Extensive

1

2

3

4

Very Extensive

5

Not Applicable

New Business Opportunities

Industry Leadership

Innovation

Customer Focus / Excellence

Export Market Potential

Domestic Market Access

Human Capital Development

Competitiveness

Productivity

Cost Effectiveness

7. How much of your company’s revenue is allocated for technology?

…………% 8. How do you rate your company’s capability in mastering technology?

(On a scale of 1 – 5, please choose 1 for the least important and 5 more the most important)

Least

Important

1

2

3

4

Most Important

5

Retaining technology

Upgrading technology

Acquiring technology

Developing technology locally

Developing technology internationally

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9. Are you currently using STI initiatives to grow your business especially in targeting international markets? Yes No (please proceed to Question 10)

9.1. If Yes, which geographic markets hold great potential in terms of revenue contributions over the next 5 years? Please indicate in percentage.

Country Percentage (%)

1) ……………………….. 2) ……………………….. 3) ……………………….. 4) ………………………..

…………………. …………………. …………………. ………………….

9.2. What are the top THREE challenges you will need to overcome to succeed in international markets?

i) ……………………………………………………………………………………………. ii) …………………………………………………………………………………………… iii) ……………………………………………………………………………………………

9.3. How do you fund your expansion plans? …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9.4. What are your sources? ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

9.5. How do you use STI to support your expansion plans? ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

10. What are the key challenges to adopting, developing and commercialising new technology?

(Please choose your preference from 1 to 5 with 1 being the least important and 5 being the most important)

Least

Important 1

2

3

4

Most Important

5

Availability of Funding

Internal Structure

Return on Investment (ROI)

Human Resource

Regulatory Compliance

Collaboration

Risk Management

Costs

External Institutional Arrangements

Workforce Competency

Technology Complexity

Governance / Security

Obsolete Technology

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11. In your opinion, what are the key advantages of using STI for growth and performance? (Please choose your preference from 1 to 5 with 1 being the least important and 5 being the most important)

Least

Important 1

2

3

4

Most Important

5

Increased Productivity

Wide Market Coverage

Less Labour Intensive

Increased Cost Efficiency

Enhanced Reputation/ Image

Better Customer Satisfaction

Improved Product Range

12. What would be the potential threats to your company as a whole over the next 5 years? (You may select up to THREE options)

Domestic competition Public relations International competition Product-related Regulatory/ Legislative pressures Economic environment New emerging technologies Access to finance Political uncertainties Costs of production Pricing pressures Lack of qualified workers Availability of Labour Cash flow Finding customers Lack of customer demand

13. Has your company been consulted or informed on any policies regarding S&T in Malaysia?

Yes No (please proceed to Question 14)

13.1 If YES, please choose from which government agencies and/or departments approached you regarding S&T

policies in Malaysia? MOSTI Bioeconomy Corporation MATRADE MITI MDEC MIDA SME Corp MTDC MIGHT AIM MARDI SIRIM MREPC CIDB MPOB Other (please specify): …………………………..

14. Which of these best describe the communication type and frequency you receive from various industry players in

your line of business/technology? (Please choose ONE for each category below)

Type Open, Transparent Insufficient Not targeted Information-Driven Adequate Dialogue-driven, 2-way One-way

Frequency

Infrequent, Irregular Regular Slow Timely

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SECTION C: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT (R&D) FOCUS

15. Does your company have a section/unit/division/department that looks after R&D activities?

Yes No (please proceed to Question 16)

15.1 Do you have any existing R&D collaborations with institutes/universities to help you with product innovations

and etc.? Yes No (please proceed to question 15.2)

15.1.1 If Yes, what are the types of collaborations?

Product innovation Process improvement Commercialisation of R&D Others (please specify): ……………………………

15.2 Do you have sufficient funds to engage/outsource R&D activities? Yes No

15.3 What has been your annual average of R&D spending in percentage of revenue? 1% - 5% 6% - 10% 11% - 20% > 21%

15.4 What do you expect your R&D spending be like 5 year from now?

Increase = 1% - 5% Decrease = 1% - 5% Increase = 6% - 10% Decrease = 6% - 10% Increase = 11% - 20% Decrease = 11% - 20% Increase > 20% Decrease > 20% No Change

15.5 What are the priority areas for R&D activities in your company?

Energy Medical & Healthcare Transportation Environment & Climate change Water Food security & Agriculture National security (ICT-driven) Biodiversity Plantation crops and commodities Other (please specify): …………………………

16. Does your company have any filed Patents/Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)?

Yes No (Please proceed to Question 17)

16.1. If YES, please fill in the table below on the number till date of Patents/IPRs that are currently PENDING for approval, APPROVED, and/or REJECTED.

Pending Approved Rejected

Patent Industrial Design Patent Industrial Design Patent Industrial Design

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17. Which of the following clusters of adjectives would you use to express your views on R&D, adoption of new

technologies, promoting technopreneurship and commercialising innovations?

(On a scale of 1 – 5, please choose 1 for the least important and 5 more the most important)

Least Important

1

2

3

4

Most Important

5

A) Internal Factors (within your company) Lack of R&D strategy/policy Limited financial resources Lack of skilled personnel Lack of infrastructure for R&D Lack of commitment by top management Delay/Red tape in fund management Poor management of R&D process Lack of knowledge about scientific research Poor reward system for R&D Limited time dedicated to R&D work Others (please specify): …………………………..

B) External Factors (outside your company) Insufficient government funding Increasing capital costs Lack of R&D personnel with the requisite expertise Lack of ancillary services to support R&D Poor physical infrastructure to support R&D Poor enforcement of intellectual property rights Difficulty in collaborating with public institutions Difficulty in collaborating with other private agencies Others (please specify): …………………………..

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SECTION D: INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE & RESEARCH MOBILITY Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program (MTCP) is one of Malaysian flagship international cooperation. Since its launching, more than 25,000 participants from 140 countries have benefited from the various programmes offered under the MTCP. Other than talent enhancement, there are also many other advantages in developing STI capabilities through international cooperation. 18. Please rate the importance of international cooperation in developing Malaysia’s STI capabilities.

(Please choose your preference from 1 to 5 with 1 being the least important and 5 being the most important)

Least

Important 1

2

3

4

Most Important

5

Introduction of advanced technologies

Sharing of best practices

Training of knowledge workers

Development and access to cutting edge research

Access to international market

Positioning Malaysia’s S&T internationally

Increase of availability of financial investment

19. Please rate the importance of these gateways in building alliance.

(Please choose your preference from 1 to 5 with 1 being the least important and 5 being the most important)

Least

Important 1

2

3

4

Most Important

5

International funds (scholarship/grants)

Job positions for foreign researchers

International programs (conference, workshops, forums)

Opportunities for start-up venture

Exchange of personnel (talent exchange)

20. Please rank the priority areas that require international collaboration.

(Please choose your preference from 1 to 5 with 1 being the least important and 5 being the most important)

Least

Important 1

2

3

4

Most Important

5

Climate change

Health and wellbeing

Digital technology

Fundamental research

Pollution

21. Does your company/agency/organization have a section devoted for international affairs?

Yes No 22. Please list down the top THREE countries in which your company/agency/organization work with and in which

areas? Country Areas

1) ……………………….. 2) ……………………….. 3) ………………………..

………………………… ………………………… ……….………………...

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SECTION E: GOVERNANCE & TALENT

23. Are you willing to provide/share data to any government agencies in order to further enhance the quality of the existing databases?

Yes No

24. What resources do you use to get quantitative and qualitative data on STI development (i.e. commercialization rate)?

Local government databases (MASTIC, DOS) International databases (i.e. World Bank, Gartner) Own survey (primary data) Journal paper/studies Local newspapers and magazines Internet International newspapers and magazines Industry forum Friends Government resources Journal papers/studies Consultants Other (please specify) : …………………………..

25. What are the main challenges in obtaining data for STI? (Choose maximum THREE options)

Secrecy Government bureaucracy Ambiguity of the data required Cost of getting data Lack of current data Do not know where to obtain the data required

26. What is the practical way for you to tap into the availability of information provided by the government agencies?

Access to website Meeting with officer-in-charge Attend forum and workshops Physical data and information centre Other (please specify): …………………………..

27. What do you think is the main issue of STI governance in Malaysia?

Lack of policy implementation Lack of awareness and clarification on policies Lack of transparency and accountability Lack or difficulty of getting funds from government Stakeholders (Government, Academia, Industry) working in silo Lack of champion to drive STI agenda among industries players Other (please specify): …………………………..

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28. Please provide information on the headcounts and salary range of STEM and TVET graduates in your company. (Please refer on Appendix at the end of survey for the full description on STEM and TVET)

Highest Qualification

STEM TVET

Total Headcount Salary Range

(RM) Total

Headcount Salary Range

(RM)

Doctoral

Master

Bachelor

Diploma

Certificate and Equivalent

29. How many of them are working in the field that is related to their academic qualification? ……….. %

30. In general, do you think STEM graduates perform better than NON-STEM graduates?

Yes, (Why?) ………………………………………………………………………………….

No, (Why?) …………………………………………………………………………………..

31. What are the most required field for STEM graduates in your company? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

32. In your opinion, what are the initiatives that could enhance the collaboration between industry and government? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

33. How can your company contribute to STI initiatives in Malaysia? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

THE END

Thank You for Sharing Your Thoughts with Us.

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APPENDIX

STEM is a learning integrated disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics which apply in the

context of the real world by connecting educational institutions, communities and industry to produce literate society

STEM talent and drive towards economic development of the country. (Source: National Science Council 2016)

NEC Fields of Education and Training: List of STEM Subjects

Broad Field Narrow Field Detailed Field

4) Science, Mathematics and Computing

42

Life Science 421 422

Biology and Biochemistry Environmental Science

44

Physical Sciences

441 442 443

Physics Chemistry Earth Science

46

Mathematics and Statistics 461 462

Mathematics Statistics

48 Computing

481 482

Computer Science Computer Use

5) Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction

52 Engineering And Engineering Trades

521 522 523 524 525 526 527

Mechanics And Metal Work Electricity And Energy Electronics And Automation Chemical And Process Motor Vehicles. Ships And Aircraft Civil Engineering Material Engineering

54 Manufacturing and Processing

541 542

543

544 545

Food Processing Textiles, Clothes, Footwear and Leather Materials (Wood, Paper, Plastic, and Glass) Mining and Extraction Applied Science

58 Architecture and Building

581 582

Architecture and Town Planning Building

6) Agriculture and Veterinary

62 Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery

621 622 623 624

Crop and Livestock Production Horticulture Forestry Fisheries

64 Veterinary 641 Veterinary

7) Health and Welfare

72 Health

721 722 723 724 725

726 727

Medicine Medical Services Nursing and Caring Dental Studies Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Technology Therapy and Rehabilitation Pharmacy

76 Social Services

761

762

Child Care and Youth Services Social work and Counselling

(Source: MOSTI Indicators Report 2016).

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is defined by UNESCO as “those aspects of the educational

process involving, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences and the acquisition

of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupation in various sectors of economic life”. (Source: MOSTI Indicator Report 2016)