Kuala lumpur: Increasing investment in research and development (R and D) is key to transforming Malaysia into a high-income and competitive nation, according to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, its Minister, Chang Lih Kang, stated that MOSTI is committed to ensuring research outcomes do not remain confined to laboratories but are translated into real-world solutions. These solutions are designed to benefit the people directly, enhance the competitiveness of local industries, and drive economic growth based on innovation.
Chang highlighted that Malaysia’s investment in R and D still lags behind that of developed countries such as South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. However, MOSTI aims to close this gap by 2030. He mentioned that the government has set a target for the country to achieve gross expenditure on research and development (GERD) of 3.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), as part of the MADANI Economy agenda to ensure long-term economic development.
To support this effort, Chang noted that MOSTI has implemented various strategic initiatives to strengthen the country’s R and D landscape, contributing to building an innovative, resilient, and ethical society. Among these initiatives is the expansion of impact-based research funding, which broadens access to R and D financing for companies and research institutions conducting high-impact work, particularly in green, digital, and sustainable technologies.
Chang further explained that the establishment of industry-academia research consortia promotes collaboration between government, industry, and academia to address national issues through focused research. For instance, the Semiconductor Research Consortium, led by MIMOS in 2024, has driven advancements in semiconductor technologies and positioned Malaysia as a regional R and D hub in ASEAN.
The empowerment of a national R and D infrastructure involves enhancing laboratory capacity, centers of excellence, and inter-state R and D networks to support inclusive technological development. The National Technology and Innovation Sandbox, established in 2020, serves as a flagship initiative providing a live testing ecosystem for pre-commercial technologies, bridging the gap between research and real-world industrial applications.
Chang also emphasized the importance of strengthening researcher mobility and training, which involves offering talent development programs through industrial training, international joint research, and incentives for young researchers. Among these initiatives is the Young Scientists Network under the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, which supports young researchers through training, exposure to emerging technologies, and global collaboration networks.
The minister mentioned that the implementation of open innovation and commercialization policies includes facilitating technology transfer and the commercialization of research outputs through intellectual property protection and early-stage funding for R and D-based startups. The technology commercialization accelerator initiative aims to accelerate the transition of research technologies from lab to market by providing technology readiness assessments, expert mentorship, and access to strategic investors.