As at August 2014, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has the highest number of Industrial PhD students in the country with 75 students registered in various faculties. UTM industrial partners include Proton, Telekom Malaysia, Intel, Seagate, Motorola, Boustead Naval Shipyard, Shell Sarawak, Malakoff Corporation, Petronas Carigali and MISC Bhd.
The UTM Industrial PhD programme has strengthened the strategic partnership between UTM and the industries by preserving the mark of original and innovative research. The programme allows candidates to research on industrial issues as well as issues related to their workplace and their different fields of specialization. Therefore, in addition to affording candidates opportunities for doctoral study, this programme benefits both the industry and the university; the industry benefits from the innovative and valuable knowledge acquired by the students, and the university gains access to new knowledge and innovation provided by the industry.
Research carried out by the PhD students encompasses high industrial impact projects such as Energy Optimization for Electric Vehicle, Proton Car Ecological Carbon Foot Print, Pedestrian Protection, Car Interior Cabin Noise, Ergonomic and Design and Evaluation of Driver Cockpit for Malaysian Customers.
Other areas of research include engineering, business management, manufacturing engineering, information technology, engineering design, renewable energy and biotechnology.
The industrial PhD programme is introduced by the Ministry of Education (MOE) with financial incentives under the MyBrain15 PhD Industry Scholarship scheme. Suited to the needs of the industry and providing more practical oriented doctorate, this programme is an alternative to the conventional PhD. In other words, this programme is tailored for professionals and industry practitioners with the aim to produce and enhance innovations and competitiveness via industry-based research.