UMT has been appointed as the lead university for the establishment of the Malaysia Logistics Consortium (MLC), also known as MR13: Logistics Consortium.

This initiative is part of the Ministry of Higher Education Research and Industry-Infused Incubator (MRI3) programme to bridge research excellence, industrial collaboration, and structured talent development.

The official launch in November in Putrajaya was officiated by the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, YB Datuk Ts. Mustapha Sakmud, marking a new phase in strengthening Malaysia’s logistics ecosystem through a unified national platform.

UMT Vice-Chancellor Professor Ir. Ts. Dr. Mohd Zamri Ibrahim said the formation of the logistics consortium reflects UMT’s commitment to drive talent development and industry-relevant research in the logistics field.

“This consortium provides an essential platform for uniting university and industry capabilities to develop skilled talent and foster industry-driven research capable of advancing Malaysia’s logistics transformation,” he said.

As the lead institution, UMT coordinates the MLC implementation through its Industry Centre of Excellence (ICoE-Maritime Cluster) as the secretariat. The consortium brings together experts from academia, industry, government, and the community to develop an integrated and future-proof logistics ecosystem.

UMT’s leadership extends beyond coordination. The university spearheads the national talent development agenda by designing and driving industry-recognized professional training programmes, enhancing digital competency among students, and ensuring graduates possess logistics and supply chain related skills.

The Logistics Consortium platform helps strengthen collaboration between UMT and industry partners. Its core focus is talent development, delivered through structured industry placements, co-designed training modules, industry-led student projects, and technology transfer programmes. These initiatives not only enhance graduate employability with a premium salary but also meet the sector’s growing demand for digitally skilled professionals. With this talent ecosystem in place, UMT will progressively expand into targeted, industry-driven research, including maritime logistics innovation, port automation, transport data analytics, and advanced supply chain solutions to boost national logistics competitiveness.

In building a robust national ecosystem, this consortium brings together a wide network of strategic partners from higher education institutions and the logistics industry. More than ten institutions have joined the consortium, including Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), as well as polytechnics and private institutions such as UCSI University and Peninsula College.

From the industry, major players such as CMA CGM Malaysia, PKT Logistics Group, Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), Kuantan Port, Westports, MATRADE, Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) through the Logistics Productivity Nexus (LPN), the Government-Industry TVET Coordination Body (GITC), Airfreight Forwarders Association of Malaysia (AFAM), and Association of Malaysia Haulier (AMH) are among those supporting the consortium’s mission to elevate Malaysia’s logistics competitiveness.

by :Dr. Zuha Rosufila Abu Hasan, Associate Professor Ts. Dr. Nurul Haqimin Mohd Salleh, Adzie Faraha, Moosin Centre for Knowledge Transfer, Industry & Community Linkages