Chapter 4

Research and Development

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 Contents
4.1 Definitions
4.2 Implication on present-day issues
4.3 Engineer’s (or scientist’) role in
research.
4.4 Engineer’s role in development.
4.5 Types of research and development
(R&D) and the desired output.
4.6 Managing Research and Development
(R&D)
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 Contents
4.7 A primer on intellectual property.
4.8 Peranan jurutera dalam mencipta
‘khazanah’ pembangunan di Malaysia
4.9 Isu-isu bersangkutan kejuruteraan di
industri dan universiti.
4.10 University – Industry – Government
Interaction
4.11 Malaysian Science and Technology
Development
4.12 Research grant schemes
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 4.1 Definitions
• Research – both basic and applied is
systematic, intensive study directed
towards full scientific knowledge of the
subject studied.
• Development – is the systematic use of
scientific knowledge directed toward the
production of useful materials, devices,
systems, or methods, including design and
development of prototype and processes.
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 4.2 Implication on contemporary
issues
• Engineering is the foundation of
technology, industry and
development of any society.
• Therefore engineer’s contribution
to the society needed to be
revised, society here – meaning
to imply the industrial society.
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 4.2 Implication on contemporary
issues(continued…)
• National industrial target and planning
needs capable engineers with the
criteria to design – be able to do
research and development;
management skill and equipped with
strong background of theory and
practical.

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4.3 Engineer’s (or scientist’) role in
research.
• Normally as a head in any agency
that authorised such research.
• Using their expertise on the field
in finding new materials or better
way of doing things may it in
terms of cost effectiveness or
time-saving.
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4.4 Engineer’s role in development

• Several key elements of an engineer’s

responsibilities:
– To take part in value-added activities.
– To have a high degree of profesional
education and just (sufficient) sense of
ethics and professionalism.
– To maintain high standards in
engineering practices at all time.

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4.4 Engineer’s role in development
(continued…)
–To be aware of environmental and
alert to safety issues for
sustainable development.

–To consider all technological

options in order to find better or
optimal alternatives for the nation.

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4.4 Engineer’s role in development
(continued…)
• The key areas where growth in
research and development will be
rapid :
–The information technology sector.
–Telecommunication sector
– The manufacturing sector.

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4.4 Engineer’s role in development
(continued…)
–The energy sector.
–The human resources sector.

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 4.5 Types of research and
development (R&D) and the
desired output.
• Scientists and engineers principally
perform 2 types of R&D, namely :
– Fundamental research, i.e elementary
particles research.
– Applied research, i.e product
development.

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 4.5 Types of research and
development (R&D) and the
desired output (cont’d)
• All (R&D) output is utmostly
desired to be produced and
marketed.
• Production – is the process of
manufacturing the product.

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 4.5 Types of research and
development (R&D) and the
desired output (cont’d)
• Market – is the release of the
product to consumers.
• (R&D) is considered as part of
production process.

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 4.5 Types of research and
development (R&D) and the desired
output (cont’d)
• 3 different type of productions cycle
depending on the volume of end-
product
- mass production :
for high volume products
the product developed, tooling manufactured and marketed
e.g coca cola.

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 4.5 Types of research and
development (R&D) and the desired
output (cont’d)

• process production :
- for moderately large number of unit.
the product developed, marketed with prototypes and produced as
demanded.
e.g supercomputers (microsoft at early stage)

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 4.5 Types of research and
development (R&D) and the desired
output (cont’d)

unit production :
for small number of unit.
the product is requested, developed through intricate
(R&D) and manufactured.
e.g measat satellite

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 4.5 Types of research and
development (R&D) and the desired
output (cont’d)

• (R&D) is costly and may not produce

immediate return from capital
• Developed nation spend 2-3% and
developing countries spend 0.1-0.5%
of their GNP.

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 4.5 Types of research and
development (R&D) and the desired
output (cont’d)
Table 1 : Budget Allocation of R&D by Countries

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 4.5 Types of research and
development (R&D) and the desired
output (cont’d)

• Other ways of acquiring technology

are :
– technology transfer
– reverse engineering
– industrial espionage (morally and
ethically wrong – thus highly not
recommended.
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 4.6 Managing Research and
Development (R&D)
• People
– Who are analytical, curious, independent,
intellectual, enjoy sceintific and
mathematical activities.
– With internal standard and highly self-
confidence
– Who can interact with peers and has great
tolerance
– Who are creative are most desirable

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 4.6 Managing Research and
Development (R&D)-(continued…)
•Specializations

- Specialized personnel is
desired but not overly
specialized as that might
hinder them from talking and
having contact with other
personnels.

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 4.6 Managing Research and
Development (R&D)-(continued…)
• Staffing – three major
areas of staffing are –
– Support staff : including financial
management, contracting and technical
editing.
– Technicians : laboratory and field technicians,
computer technicians and models fabricators;
most are playing the crucial role in the
researching process.
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 4.6 Managing Research and
Development (R&D)-(continued…)
• Staffing – three major areas
of staffing are –

- Research staffs : the project leader,

engineers/scientists, involvement in
entreneuring(marketing), communicating
and coaching.

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 4.6 Managing Research and
Development (R&D)-(continued…)
• Ideas
– personnel need to be technically
competent in one or more fields
– have the ability to conceptualize the
idea
– the importance of allowing the flow of
ideas; and newly generated ideas shall
not be impeded

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 4.6 Managing Research and
Development (R&D)-(continued…)
• Ideas
- key communicators in the team shall play
the role of conveying new ideas from
literatures of conferences proceedings to
others in the team.
- Coaching : those are the more senior
position in the organizations, be a good
listeners and helpers.
- Supervisors : those should have the ability
to provide leadership and motivation and
be sensitive to the needs of others.

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 4.6 Managing Research and
Development (R&D)-(continued…)
• Communication networks

- the main purpose is the

organization and processing of
information

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 4.6 Managing Research and
Development (R&D)-(continued…)
• Communication networks

– Tushman (1988) suggests :

a. the amount and pattern of communication
within the project must match the
information processing requirements of
the research project.
b. The project must be linked to
interdependent areas within the
firm/university department.
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 4.6 Managing Research and
Development (R&D)-(continued…)
• Communication networks

– Tushman (1988) suggests :

c. The project must be linked to external sources of
information through direct contacts or through
gatekeepers (in FKAAS is the role played by
CECTUS or RECESS).

• Have the beyond the organization project boundary

(contact with personnels from other universities with
the same field)

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 4.6 Managing Research and
Development (R&D)-(continued…)
• The innovation process

- an invention is an idea, a concept, a

sketch, or a model for a new or improved
product, device, process, or system.
- Inventing is the creation of new
knowledge or new ideas
– The process include ;

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 4.6 Managing Research and
Development (R&D)-(continued…)
• The innovation process

- The process include ;

a. indentifying the market need or technology
opportunity
b.adopting or adapting existing technology
that satisfies this need or opportunity,
c.inventing,
d.transferring this technology by
commercialization or other institutional
means.
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 4.6 Managing Research and
Development (R&D)-(continued…)
• Funds

– in industrial R&D most of their fund come

from sponsorship or customers
– in universites various source of fund like
short term grants, IRPA, ministry of science
and technology are among others.

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4.7 A primer on intellectual
property
• 2 basic types of intellectual property

a. industrial property (such as : patents,

marks, industrial designs)
b. copyright (mostly on artistics works)

• Only part a. will be discussed at length.

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4.7 A primer on intellectual
property (continued…)
• Patents
- A document issued by a government office that
describes an invention, creates legal situation
and the inventor normally shall exploit, make,
use, sold and import.
- The duration of a patent is normally 20 years
(the US) from the date of filing.
- In Malaysia it is governed by Patents
(Amendment) Act 1995 and associated
regulations.

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 4.7 A primer on intellectual
property (continued…)
• Patents
- 6451 patent applications were
applied for in Malaysia in 1997.
- The main objectives of the
patent system:
to encourage investment, invention and
innovation
to encourage the disclosure and
dissemination of technological
developments.
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 4.7 A primer on intellectual
property (continued…)
• Patents
- 20 years of monopoly period
granted to the owner within which to
commercialize or exploit the
invention.
- If not (exploited), in 3 years, other
party shall apply for compulsory
licence under certain conditions.

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 4.7 A primer on intellectual
property (continued…)
• Patents
- Non-patentable categories are :
a. discoveries, scientific theories, mathematical
methods
b. plant or animal varities, micro-organism,
micro-biological
process and its product
c. schemes, rules or methods for doing business
d. methods for treatment of human body,
surgery or therapy.
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 4.7 A primer on intellectual
property (continued…)
• Malaysian Patent Application
Requirements
Name and address of the applicant. If it is
a Company, place of incorporation
Name, address and citizenship of the
Inventor(s).
Invention Title, Abstract of the Invention
or Design.
Invention specifications in English.
Claims.

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 4.7 A primer on intellectual
property (continued…)
• Malaysian Patent Application
Requirements

Formal Drawings.
Statement Justifying the Applicant's right
to the invention.
Certified priority document, including
priority number and country of origin.

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 4.7 A primer on intellectual
property (continued…)
 Patent Filing
- Substantive Examination
– Acceptance (Notice of Allowance) or
rejection.
– Payment of the Issue Fees.
– The patentee shall pay an annual fee
beginning with the year in which the patent
right was granted.

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 4.7 A primer on intellectual
property (continued…)
 Marks / Trademarks
- A word, device, name, letter or numeral
(or any combination thereof) which is
applied to a product of one party to
identify it and distinguish it from the
goods and service of other parties.
-The symbol of ® denotes a trademark

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 4.7 A primer on intellectual
property (continued…)
 Marks / Trademarks

- The registration is evidence to the

owner or the registered proprieter of the
trademark to claim exclusive rights to the
use of the trademark in Malaysia.
- Valid for 10 years, shall be renewed at
the tenth year and thereafter every ten
years.
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 4.7 A primer on intellectual
property (continued…)
 Industrial design
- Coverage : the article covered by industrial
design must be reproducible by industrial
means.
- Definition : features of shape and
configuration (3-D), pattern or ornament (2-D)
applied to an article by any industrial process
or means being features which in the finished
article appeal to the eye

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 4.7 A primer on intellectual
property (continued…)
 Industrial design
- But DOES NOT include a method or principle of
construction..
– Legislative : The Industrial Designs Act 1999 (Act
552) and the Industrial Designs Regulations 1999 as
guideline in industrial design in Malaysia.

– Effective from the mentioned date, the local

registration of industrial design replaced the UK
Designs (Protection) Act 1949 (revised 1978) used in
the UK.

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 4.8 Peranan jurutera dalam mencipta
‘khazanah’ pembangunan di Malaysia.
• Mencipta harta atau khazanah melalui
sumber yang ditemuinya tidak kira bersifat
material ataupun sumber persekitaran.
• Merekabentuk sistem, barangan atau
perkhidmatan dengan tujuan untuk
‘meningkatkan nilai’ sumber tersebut.
• Mengamalkan kerja-kerja merekabentuk
secara berterusan, jika tidak kebolehan
tersebut akan hilang.

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4.9 Isu-isu bersangkutan kejuruteraan
di industri dan universiti.
• Setiap produk mempunyai kos dan perlu
mempunyai nilai tambah tertentu untuk
kekal bersaing.
• Produk perlukan kepada inovasi tetapi
dalam kawalan disiplin yang telah
ditetapkan oleh pihak berkuasa.
• Kepimpinan dalam industri dan sikap
kerajaan yang memerintah akan
memberikan persekitaran yang kondusif
untuk menghasilkan penyelidik tempatan
yang berketerampilan. 46
 4.9 Isu-isu bersangkutan kejuruteraan
di industri dan universiti..(cont’d)
• Kemajuan ekonomi perlu diperkasakan
dan memperkukuhkan yang berikut:
– keupayaan negara untuk inovasi.
– membangunkan teknologi tempatan.
– merekabentuk, membangunkan dan
memasarkan.

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4.9 Isu-isu bersangkutan kejuruteraan
di industri dan universiti..(cont’d)
• Jurutera sebagai pensyarah kurang
mendapat pendedahan untuk
membabitkan diri dalam kerja-kerja
sebenar kejuruteraan sebagaimana yang
dilakukan oleh jurutera di sektor
perindustrian.
• Jurutera pensyarah tidak mendapat
imbuhan sebagaimana rakan
sejawatannya yang bertugas di sektor
industri. 48
4.10 University – Industry –
Government Interaction
• Industrial scientist/engineers teaching as adjunct
professors and thereby contributing to the
academic program and linking the university with
the industrial laboratory,
• Arranging postdoctoral programs for industrial
scientist/engineers at universities,
• University scientist/engineers working as
consultants to industry thus bringing recent
developments and critical judgements from
university.

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4.10 University – Industry –
Government Interaction (cont’d)
 According to Jain and Triandis (1997) the
collaboration of industrial and
government to develop the partnership
with the academic institutions in the US
such as :

a. by providing seed money to a university

researcher to explore an area of interest to an
industrial consortium by agency such as
National Science Foundation (NSF).
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 4.10 University – Industry –
Government Interaction (cont’d)
 According to Jain and Triandis
(1997)..
b. by providing support to carry out,
beyond the basic research stage, funded
by NSF or other noncommercial
organizations.
c. by providing graduate students
support for research project.
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 4.10 University – Industry –
Government Interaction (cont’d)
 According to Jain and Triandis (1997)..

d. by jointly building and operating some

aspects of research facility and thus
sharing equipment, personnel, and cost

e.by creating research technology

centers at universities.

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 4.10 University – Industry –
Government Interaction (cont’d)
 According to Jain and Triandis
(1997)..
f. by forming the center of technology
tranfers at the universities.

g. by exchange of research
personnel.
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 4.10 University – Industry –
Government Interaction (cont’d)
• Win-win situations where industry gains access
to both cutting-edge research and highly
talented personnel; and the university’s
researchers benefitted from the funding.
• Type of collaborations :
- by providing seed money to a university
researcher to explore an area of interest to an
industrial consortium,
- by providing support to carry out ...

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4.11 Malaysian Science and
Technology Development
• The principle government agency in
Malaysia is the Ministry of Science,
Technology and Innovation, Malaysia
(MOSTI), formerly MOSTE.
• Table 2 is the Operating Allocation of
MOSTE for 1997 shows that Malaysia is
now putting more budget in the R&D
based organization and serious about it.

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 4.11 Malaysian Science and
Technology Development (cont’d)
Table 2

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 4.12 Research grant schemes

 Multimedia Grant Schemes

- A grant scheme with RM 100 million of
funding, available for research in
innovative ideas and technologies to
improve products and services.
- Open to MSC status companies which at
least 51% owned by Malaysians

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 4.12 Research grant schemes
• Intensification of Research in Priority Areas
(IRPA)
- IRPA funds priority areas in R&D that
enhances the national socio-economic position.
-Encourages collaborative efforts among
research institutions or private and public sector.
-Administered by IRPA Secretariat, which is part
of MOSTE.
-Table 3 shows the IRPA allocation for the year
1997

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4.12 Research grant schemes

• Table 3

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 4.12 Research grant schemes
• The fund is specifically requires the output to
be commercialized
• Monitored by IGS scretariat at MOSTE
• The objectives are :
a. to encourage innovative usage of and adapting
existing and creating new technologies and product
b. to strengthen national competetiveness in global
markets
c. to promote closer linkages between private and
public sector like universities and research institutes
d. to encourage strategic global and regional linkages
in R&D

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 4.12 Research grant schemes
• Short Term Grant
- A grant that fund up to RM 100 000
cost of study
- Basic research that signifies the
potential field of study that need further
research.
- Normally used by universities lecturers
to do research by means of their
undergraduate or graduate students

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