PUCHONG, Sept 2 — Malaysia must move beyond developing technology and intellectual property (IP) and turn them into products and businesses that can be commercialised at scale, said Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) chief executive officer Ashran Ghazi.
He said while the country has strong IP emerging from universities, greater effort is needed to bridge the gap between research and commercial applications.
“What’s been lacking essentially is the translation into business fronts,” he said during his keynote session at “Supply Chain Day Series 1: Exclusive Showcase from MaiStorage” at Four Points by Sheraton here today.
Ashran noted that a single IP is often insufficient to create a complete product, the manufacture of which requires multiple technologies and expertise. He said this is an opportunity for companies to combine IPs from different universities, add value through their own capabilities, and leverage existing supply chains to bring products to market.
He also stressed the importance of distribution, saying even the most promising technology would struggle to succeed without a pathway to customers.
“You can have the most brilliant product and ideas, but if you don’t have distribution on how this product moves, that is still not going to work.”
Ashran said MRANTI is working with technology-transfer offices across Malaysian universities to help companies access and combine relevant IP without having to approach each institution individually.
“We want to be able to turn national priorities into executable missions. Technology is just one part of the solution.”
Stronger tech ecosystem
Meanwhile, Cyberview chief executive officer Kamarul Ariffin Abdul Samad said Malaysia must move beyond being a user of technologies developed elsewhere to building and owning more IPs.
He said the country must develop indigenous technologies, especially amid global uncertainties, while stronger collaboration between industry, infrastructure, research and talent would accelerate the transition from innovation to market.
“The more important question is where in the value chain we choose to participate.
“The bigger opportunity is to connect industry, infrastructure, research and talent in a way that creates economic value and shortens the path from innovation to market,” he said in his keynote speech.
He added that Cyberview’s role is to provide an environment where companies could access talent and partners, test technologies in real-world settings and eventually commercialise them.
“We know that a technology ecosystem cannot be built through just infrastructure alone. Infrastructure, connectivity and investment matter only when they have ideas that move into real use.”
Kamarul Ariffin also said the combination of real-world testing, regulatory pathways, industry participation and talent could help close the gap between promising technologies and commercial deployment.
