Innovative Industry and Sustainability Science (IISS) Research Clusters supports research efforts leading to innovative and sustainable solutions to problems relevant to industry and society.  IISS intends to achieve cohesion and interactions among fragmented research activities in key areas in order to enhance the prospects of solving challenging problems, which are often interdisciplinary in nature.  IISS is committed to build collaborative linkages between UM researchers and industrial partners.  Impact Oriented Interdisciplinary Research in the following niche and thrust areas are promoted.

NICHE AREAS

Energy:

Energy is a key area where UM researchers have shown great strength in terms of research productivity.  Researchers in different faculties and research centres are contributing to diverse topics including biofuel, solar energy, energy management, energy efficiency, battery etc. Researchers are encouraged to propose research by integrating different disciplines. IISS aims to bring energy researchers on a common platform to address important energy challenges in a collaborative manner.

Materials:

Materials have been another significant strength of UM researchers in different faculties and research centres.  Materials underpin innovation in almost all other areas of technologies.  Materials research at UM includes wide ranging materials such as functional materials and sensors, structural materials, electronic materials, biomaterials, energy materials etc.   IISS intends to bring researchers with different materials background to work on innovative material solutions to industrial problems.

THRUST AREAS

Industrial 4.0

Industry 4.0, combining physical and cyber systems, has the potential to change our lives in unprecedented ways.  UM researchers have been working on different elements of I4.0 in isolated ways. IISS will bring together researchers from computer science and information technology, engineering, business and economics to work on innovative projects.  

Water & Environment:

Research on developing strategies and technologies for quality, prediction, prevention and protection of water resources and environment are of particular interest. Investigations on the effects of global warming/climate change on the environment and the effects of anthropogenic activities on climate change will also be highlighted. 

Sustainable Living:

Research on promoting and adopting a lifestyle that aims to reduce the use of natural resources by developing new technologies such as green technologies or renewable energy are increasing among the UM researchers. It aims to foster interdisciplinary research to meet the challenges and promote solutions of sustainable development for the society