| Universiti Putra Malaysia

UPM and SME Corp. develop an SME database

 By Alex Ardiansyah

 Photo by Noor Azreen Awang

                                                          

SERDANG, 23 Okt - Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and SME Corp. Malaysia will develop a Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) database about the schedule of input-output of SMEs.

The schedule will detail the economic transactions between SMEs and large enterprises and among end-users.

In realising the cooperation, an exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) held today between UPM, represented by the Institute of Agricultural and Food Policy Studies (IKDPM), and SME Corp. Malaysia.

Vice-chancellor of UPM, Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Aini Ideris said that in developing the database, UPM and SME Corp. Malaysia will appear as the first education institution and the first industry player in this country to develop the schedule of input-output of SMEs.

She mentioned that the database will encourage cooperative activities in the area of research and innovation between UPM and SME Corp. Malaysia in developing SMEs.

"Further research will help in the policy planning activity to sprout SME sector in Malaysia and to bring the local SME brand to a higher level in line with the aspirations of the SME Master Plan 2012-2020," she added.

She also said that the MoU will allow SME Corp. Malaysia to explore cooperation opportunities in the aspect of knowledge transfer. 

"As a research university, UPM is always committed to translate the methodology and research outcomes into the form of training and workshop for applications of industry players in order to create an integration between academics and industry players through the knowledge transfer programme," she added.  

The effort of building a database is undertaken by a team led by the head of Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis Laboratory (IKDPM), Dr. Mohd Yusof Saari.

Chief Executive Officer of SME Corp. Malaysia, Datuk Dr. Hafsah Hashim said that this research will allow policy planners to analyse the economic impact evaluations of SMEs to the country economy and to identify new sources of growth, which supports the goal of inclusive economic growth and also Malaysia in becoming a high-income country in year 2020.

"UPM has taken various initiatives alongside the education role in increasing industry involvement through different types of cooperation, he added. - UPM

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