Technological achievement in the food industry in Malaysia

Issues pertaining to food sustainability have long been debated in developing countries. Food sustainability practices benefit the environment, societies and economies, yet in Malaysia food production and management are still lagging in sustainability practices. The food industry needs to explore new methods in food production because of population increase, peoples’ lifestyle, demand for healthy foods, and environmental concerns. For this reason, this review paper discussed technological achievements in the food industry to help food producers improve production. It is crucial for Malaysia to ensure sustainability in food production technology in the 12th Economic Planning Unit (EPU) projection for 2021-2025. The EPU aims to restructure and empower the existing industry. This paper discussed the food technology sub-sector focusing on agriculture and livestock in Malaysia. This focus hopes to boost existing government strategies and improve food producers’ business performance following the EPU. Here, this paper highlights the government’s involvement in technology application to help farmers’ access affordable technology via research assistance from the government.

Statistical Study on Additives Used to Improve Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene

Polypropylene (PP) is a semi-crystalline polymer that is brittle under severe conditions. To meet industry needs, and to increase the applications of polypropylene, its mechanical properties should be improved. In this research, the mechanical properties of polypropylene, such as tensile strength at break, tensile strength at yield, % elongation, and Young’s modulus, were improved using two types of additives. Additives used were calcium carbonate master batch filler composed of 80% calcium carbonate and 20% polyethylene, and a mixture of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)/low density polyethylene (LDPE). Results showed that both tensile strength at break, and tensile strength at yield, decrease with increasing the amount of both additives. Percentage elongation of PP increased using both additives. The modulus of elasticity of PP increases by increasing the amount of both additives, until a value of 20 wt%. Analysis of variance (ANOVA test) or (F-test) shows significant differences between the effect of different weights of LLDPE/LDPE mixture and calcium carbonate filler on the four mechanical properties of polypropylene studied at a level of 0.05. T-tests are applied to compare between the effect of both calcium carbonate master batch filler and the mixture LLDPE/LDPE on the four mechanical properties of polypropylene studied. T-tests show no significant differences between the effect of both calcium carbonate master batch filler and the mixture LLDPE/LDPE on all mechanical properties of polypropylene studied at a level of 0.05.

Joining Techniques Like Welding in Lightweight Material Structures

In order to take more stringent measures in fuel economy and achieve the determined performance targets, the automotive industry needs to reduce the weight of the vehicles it produces. For this reason, all automobile manufacturers have determined their own strategies. Some manufacturers use lighter aluminum, magnesium, and composite components in their cars. In this study, the joining techniques of lightweight materials such as welding and the processes of their industrial use have been examined. There is currently no single technology that can combine all metallic panels in a car body structure. However, it is known that various joining technologies are used together. With the potential to combine certain combinations of steel and aluminum, manufacturers and scientists continue to work to identify technologies with the highest potential for lightweight joining and put them into use in high-volume automobile production. Therefore, it is important to examine the weldability of light materials such as magnesium, titanium, and aluminum.

Proposing Transmedia Storytelling for Malaysian Film Industry: Thematic Considerations

Media convergence is ultimately the result of the disruption in media technology, creating a new episteme that foregrounds the diverse and interlinked way a story travels across platforms. One crucial development of media convergence is transmedia. While media scholars argue that media convergence has resulted in ontological uncertainties, it ironically entrenches some recognisable functions of the traditional media. This enables traditional communication functions like storytelling to be incorporated within media convergence. Storytelling, as communication functions, has continued to challenge the spatial and temporal metaphors of messages, allowing cultural symbols to transcend traditionally held boundaries in communication. Indeed, much has been written about transmedia storytelling, less however, has linked transmedia storytelling with the Malaysian film industry. The main aim of this paper is to thematically review past studies on transmedia storytelling in order to propose the idea that transmedia storytelling can help the Malaysian film industry as it is a new form of communication that the industry needs in increasing production, creating and determining local and global consumption of Malaysian stories. The review of past studies on transmedia storytelling reveals five salient themes: 1) Transmedia and engagement; 2) Liberatory potential; 3) Hybridisation of producer and user; 4) Uniqueness of media genre, and 5) Media literacy. The themes found are used to problematise transmedia storytelling and the Malaysian Film industry; this leads to the proposal of how transmedia storytelling can help the Malaysian film industry prosper while contributing to the understanding of transmedia storytelling and its benefit for the Malaysian film industry. Keywords: Transmedia storytelling, Malaysian film industry, media convergence, digital technologies, themes.

A Fit between Logistics and Supply Chain Management Education and Jobs Market Need in Nepal

The purpose of this paper is to explore a fit between Logistics and Supply Chain Management (LSCM) related course content and the industry needs in the Nepalese context. Since this study is undertaken using the Nepalese sample, the knowledge and skills prioritized by employers, it can be of value to educators while designing their LSCM course content. Desk-based research involving content analyses was done to understand the supply side information i.e. relative coverage of LSCM topics in business-related courses and degrees offered at selected five Nepalese Universities and for the demand side information i.e. analysis of job description of the LSCM related vacancies in the Nepalese job market over eighteen weeks. The study reveals that the inclusion of LSCM courses in the business programs at Nepalese Universities is currently negligible as none of them offered a separate program dedicated to LSCM. Besides, the LSCM courses were limited to just one course per program weighing not more than three credit hours. Instead, there seems to be an unprecedented number of business schools and colleges leaning towards more sellable traditional business degrees related to finance, marketing, human resource management, IT, and hospitality. Finally, when comparing the relative coverage of LSCM topics in the curriculum to the relative demand for such knowledge by the employers, there seems to be an over-emphasis or under-emphasis of courses related to LSCM both at the bachelors and masters level indicating a mismatch between the expectations of employers and education offered by the universities.

TALENT MANAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A CRITICAL REVIEW

This study aimed to articulate the critical issues related to talent management (TM). A critical literature review was performed to discuss the significance of TM in universities and its role in aligning higher education with industrial labour requirements. Relevant literature was obtained from an extensive search of human resource journals indexed with Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, EBSCO Information Services, ProQuest, and Emerald Insight databases. The findings revealed that TM supported the competitiveness and learning outcomes in the education sector. Furthermore, this study forwarded a novel conceptual framework for integrating higher education with industrial human capital needs. Based on the results, it is recommended that the integration of TM systems in universities and organisations can ensure the university graduates address the industry needs. Therefore, collaborative planning for talent supply management models in universities and industries is vital for developing academic TM systems that align with the extensive national economic, political, and social systems.

Applied Artificial Intelligence in the Subsurface

In this paper we present an example of improved approaches for how to interact with data and leverage artificial intelligence for the subsurface. Currently, subsurface workflows typically rely on a lot of time-consuming manual input and analysis, but the promise of artificial intelligence is that, once properly trained, an AI can take care of the more routine tasks, leaving the domain expert free to work on more complex and creative parts of the job. Artificial intelligence work on subsurface datasets in recent years has typically taken the form of research and proof of concept type work, with a lot of one-off solutions showing up in the literature using new and innovative ideas (e.g. Hussein et al, 2021; Misra et al, 2019). Oftentimes this work requires a good degree of data science knowledge and programming skills on the part of the scientist, putting many of the approaches outlined in these and a multitude of other papers out of reach for many subsurface experts in the Oil and Gas industry. In order for Artificial Intelligence to become applied as part of regular workflows in the subsurface, the industry needs tools built to help subsurface experts access AI techniques in a more practical, targeted way. We present herein a practical guide to help in developing applied artificial Intelligence tools to roll out within your organization or to the industry more broadly.

Analysis of The Impact of Covid 19 Pandemic on Halal Industry in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Economic Growth in Indonesia

The MSME-based halal industry is one of the potentials that must receive serious attention from the government. Since the World Health Organization declared the Covid 19 disaster to be a pandemic, it will certainly have an impact on various fields, especially the economic sector. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the halal industry and micro, small and medium enterprises in an effort to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on economic growth in Indonesia. The method used is descriptive qualitative with a phenomenological approach. The data obtained were analyzed using qualitative analysis with data reduction, category and verification. The results of the study show the potential of the MSME sector even though its development in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic experienced obstacles. The existence of support through creativity and innovation through the development of information technology can contribute to economic growth. However, the integrity of the halal industry needs synergy and support from the government, MSMEs, business people and the community so that they can still adapt to new economic patterns and help the economic recovery amidst the pandemic can be better

Factors impacting digital transformations of the food industry by adoption of blockchain technology

Purpose This study aims to blockchain facilitate information sharing among different players in the food industry, such as farmers, food suppliers and investors, enabling an effective decision-making process where the information about goods is traceable without any inherent risk. Although blockchain technology is emerging, its use in the food industry needs to be explored from different angles, such as organizations’ policy, adoption strategies and potential technology innovations which could positively impact business processes. Design/methodology/approach For this purpose, the authors survey 84 organizations in the food industry. Further, the authors conducted in-depth- interviews with three organizations that applied blockchain technology in the production phase to address the pros and cons of this adaption and discuss how the technology could be improved based on the challenges they faced. Moreover, an overview of current and potential digital transformation uses cases of blockchain technology in the food industry has been provided. Findings The results suggested that perceived efficiency, transparency, standardization and platform development and traceability factors positively influenced intention to use (ITU). Practical implications The adoption of the blockchain cloud solution is neither time-consuming nor expensive; organizations may attempt to predict how regulations or standards will be developed to create a blockchain solution compatible with them. Originality/value This study is among the primary studies investigating the role of blockchain technology in the food sector from the organizations’ viewpoint, highlighting the factors influencing the ITU.