With the need to support the delivery of the New Economic Model (NEM) and the 10th Malaysian plan, the government recognizes the unique and special benefits that collaboration between university and industry/community can have. If the nation is to develop as an innovation-led economy, then it is important to look at the concept of collaboration and the commitment to it as a joint venture project that adds increasing value. It is a three-way process of partnership, i.e. government, business and academia and fulfilment of collaborative venture that will bring benefits that are even greater than the sum of the parts.

University and industry/community have long been proposed as a means through which complex technological and social problems can be addressed. Such problems are often beyond the scope of any particular stakeholder which should be the spur to encourage collaboration in order for success to be attained. The world is becoming more technologically complex and therefore the forms of partnership outlined in the strategy have become an ever more urgent requirement. There is no doubt that there is a vast storehouse of knowledge and skills and probably even more potential in universities and industries/communities. Academicians need to understand the needs of the industry and industry needs to tap expertise from the academic community. Therefore, enhancing university-industry/community collaboration is a corner stone of the New Economic Model and thus, the inception of the office of Industry and Community Network.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor’s office of Industry, Community & Alumni Network (ICAN), UiTM has been established in 2007. This office acts as a catalyst towards engaging with the industry and community in order to address the needs of both industry and community in the generation of new knowledge as well as the creation of applicable and economically useful knowledge for the well being of the society given the university’s role as the economic and intellectual’s engine for the nation. The strong partnership with the industry will open up opportunity for the academia to get the experience and the exposure in order to be relevant in line with the current needs in the market.

The office of Industry, Community & Alumni Network (ICAN) UiTM established Academic-Industry and Community Division (AIC) and Graduate Employability Division (GEm) on 1 April 2011 with the objective to strengthen the current and existing partnership between industry and university in the area of academia-industry and graduate employability. Another division of Industry and Community Network is the Malaysian Academy of SME & Entrepreneurship Development also known as MASMED which was established in 2010 as a result of the merger between Center of Malaysian Entrepreneur (MEDEC), Tunas Mekar and Entrepreneurship Research & Support Centre (ERSC). The objectives of MASMED are to develop and instill entrepreneurship values among UiTM graduates and academicians in order to increase graduate employability and employer-ability, to produce entrepreneurial graduates and to generate income for the university. The Deputy Vice Chancellor’s Office of Industry and Community Network also oversees the success of UiTM Holding, the business arm of the university. Formed more than five years ago, the entity facilitates all business-related activities of the university. Last but not least, it is the objective of the Industry, Community & Alumni Network (ICAN) office that UiTM produces graduates who are entrepreneurial, enterprising and employable.

On 1 January, 2017 Office of Industry, Community, Alumni and Entrepreneurship Network (ICAEN) was established comprising two subdivisions namely the Industry, Community and Alumni Office and the Malaysian Academy of SME and Entrepreneurship Development. ICAEN was established based on the earlier structures of University Industry Linkage Centre (UiLC) and Industry, Community and Alumni Network (ICAN).

With the reintroduced scope of function that is to integrate entrepreneurship into the landscape of the industry, alumni and community, ICAEN acts as a bridge to connect these entities with the university and establish symbiotic relationships as well as an ecosystem of academic pursuits, community based innovation, scholarly achievements and relevant knowledge creation, internalization and application. to the academic staff, students, UiTM and most of all to the nation at large.