Malaysia’s Tin Industry (R&D) Board and ITRI Ltd UK sign Strategic Collaboration Agreement

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Tin Industry (Research and Development) Board of Malaysia (Tin Board) and ITRI Ltd (ITRI), the association based in United Kingdom (UK) representing the global tin industry.  The two organisations, which already have close ties, agree to encourage and promote cooperation in research, development, and commercialisation of tin-based technologies in Malaysia.  The new partnership will contribute to Malaysia’s strategic development of high technology industries.

 David Bishop, CEO of ITRI commented:

 “As the world’s leading authority on tin, ITRI is committed to building and strengthening its relationships with the tin industry, government and research organisations globally.  We have a shared vision with the Tin Board, a long history of co-operation, and a desire to promote tin in new and emerging technologies.  We very much look forward to this exciting initiative.”

 The Tin Board will work with ITRI to implement an initial set of collaborative R&D projects based around new materials for energy, electronics and polymer application.  Practical work programmes will be coordinated between Malaysian universities and research institutes, and ITRI’s laboratories in the UK.  Industrial partners will be encouraged to take part in the projects, ensuring development of research concepts through to commercialisation.

 ITRI uses its extensive global industry networks to identify and evaluate new technologies with potential for new tin use.  ITRI technical staff will visit Malaysia regularly to discuss and develop these opportunities.  ITRI’s laboratories and scientific archive of more than 30,000 technical papers on tin will be made available to Malaysian researchers and secondments of technical staff to ITRI will provide a further mechanism for technology and knowledge transfer.

 Active collaboration between ITRI and the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), has already begun, with new projects in lithium ion battery technology, fire retardants and tin-based fuel catalysts.  The first secondment of a UiTM research student to ITRI will take place this year in a programme being partly funded by ITRI and the Tin Board.

 Dato' Seri Dr Mohd Ajib Anuar, Chairman of the Tin Board commented:

 “The signing of this MoU formalises the culmination of a strategic collaborative research initiative that has evolved over many years between the Tin Board and ITRI.  The focus now is on emerging technologies and innovations that will contribute towards sustainability, energy efficiency and environmental protection for the benefit of our current and future generations.  It provides a more structured arrangement that will manifest in a win-win situation by all parties involved.  It is indeed our mission that tangible benefits will accrue from this structured joint strategic collaboration, not only to the various universities and research organisations that are party to this initiative, but also the industrial partners, the nation and the global tin producing and mining community.”