JOHOR BARU: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Perodua have inked a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to strengthen the country's human capital and advance research in electric vehicle (xEV) technology.
The five-year partnership will see 10 to 15 electrical engineering undergraduates from UTM being selected each year to participate in the "Perodua – UTM xEV Engineering Programme".
The selected students will undergo the programme for one and a half years, beginning from the second semester of their third year of study.
Selected students will undergo a 10-week industrial training placement at Perodua and have the opportunity to obtain the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) Level 3 international certification.
In addition, their final year projects will be jointly supervised by Perodua’s expert engineers to ensure that research outcomes meet industry standards.
UTM vice-chancellor Dr Mohd Shafry Abdul Rahim described the collaboration as a paradigm shift in bridging the gap between academia and industry needs.
“Through the establishment of the Perodua – UTM xEV Engineering Laboratory, equipped with advanced facilities, our graduates will possess a strong competitive advantage. The integration of Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) engineering elective courses into the curriculum, along with access to the latest simulation technologies such as Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) systems, will ensure that UTM graduates remain relevant and future-ready,” he explained.
Perodua president and CEO Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the initiative represents the company’s proactive step in building a sustainable and globally competitive xEV ecosystem.
“This collaboration is not merely about technology transfer; it is a long-term investment in developing future-ready engineers who are skilled in electric vehicle engineering. With direct guidance from our engineers, students will be exposed to the real-world realities of the modern automotive industry,” he said.
In support of the programme, Perodua has also contributed technical equipment and two units of the all-electric Perodua QV-E cars for practical learning purposes at the Perodua – UTM xEV Engineering Laboratory.
