High-Tech Automotive Valley or AHTV Launched By Prime Minister

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob launches High-Tech Automotive Valley or AHTV, wants Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris to be an advanced automotive and research training centre.

At the launch of Tanjung Malims's High-Tech Automotive Valley or AHTV, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob further suggested that Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, located within the AHTV valley, has the potential to be a Centre of Advanced Automotive Research and Training (CAART).

Centre of Advanced Automotive Research and Training (CAART)

He said if the right resources and facilities are available at the university, they can nourish talent there to meet the country's needs for a highly trained workforce for the automotive industry.

"CAART will be equipped with lecture rooms, accommodation facilities and a high-tech laboratory that will focus on research, skills training, human resource development and maintenance related to the latest automotive technology," said Sabri

MOHE ready to support AHTV and CAART 

Reacting to Sabri's statement, the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) is ready to realize and support the proposal of the Prime Minister to develop a training and research centre known as the 'Center of Advanced Automotive Research and Training' (CAART).

Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, said the recommendation was significant in meeting the need to develop a trained workforce and education and research in the latest automotive fields such as hybrid, autonomous, and electric vehicles.

"Because of its strategic location within the High-Tech Automotive Valley (AHTV) region, MOHE is confident that Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) is the best choice to help Malaysia achieve its automotive trained workforce goal.

"This effort can also contribute to the government's aspiration to make AHTV a hub for electric car development, thus achieving the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals while helping make Malaysia a carbon-neutral country by 2050," said Noraini.

How do they plan to do it?

"In terms of implementation, this initiative will be successful with the cooperation of technical universities that have expertise in the field of automotive such as Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and DRB HICOM University." 

She also said the development of the training and research centre is expected to realize the aspirations of university and industry collaboration as contained in the Malaysia Education Development Plan 2015-2025 (Higher Education).

What is the High-Tech Automotive Valley/ AHTV?

AHTV is DRB-Hicom's development, where national new technologies and systems in the automotive industries can develop. They will mainly focus on electrification, artificial intelligence, autonomous tech and advanced connectivity.

According to Sabri, AHTV could be the new hub for EV production for the ASEAN market. 

"If other countries like the US can be proud of Detroit — famous for its automobile manufacturing industry — it's not likely that one day, Tanjung Malim will be known as the region's great motor hub," Ismail Sabri said during the launch of AHTV in Tanjung Malim as reported by The Malaysian Reserve.

To ensure that AHTV is a success, DRB-Hicom has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd (Geely) to develop AHTV and collaborate with local vendors and investors for the hub.

"As such, we are confident that AHTV will be able to draw on expertise and markets from China to achieve AHTV's objectives successfully," said DRB-Hicom chairman Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin.

"AHTV is expected to generate 370,000 jobs during the construction phase and 160,000 jobs when it is operational".

He further added that AHTV would also have a research university to create an educational framework to nurture a new generation of engineers for the automotive industry.