Kuala lumpur: The National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS), led by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), has been named champion in Category 14: Action Line C7 (E-Science) at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, MOSTI stated that the recognition reinforced Malaysia's position as a regional innovation leader through its strategic ecosystem development centred on the 'living lab' concept. MOSTI secretary-general Datuk Dr Nagulendran Kangayatkarasu emphasized that the award reflected the government's continued commitment to strengthening the competitiveness of local technology companies and reducing reliance on foreign technology.
"NTIS will continue to serve as a key platform to help local start-ups overcome challenges and accelerate the commercialisation of innovation, while reducing reliance on foreign technology and strengthening the nation's technological capabilities," he said.
Organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the WSIS Prizes recognise outstanding digital projects and initiatives worldwide that leverage information and communications technology (ICT). Led by MOSTI, with the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) tasked with accelerating the commercialisation of research and technology, NTIS has become one of the key pillars of the nation's innovation ecosystem since its launch as a pilot initiative in 2020.
Since then, the programme has facilitated more than RM171.8 million in commercialisation value, disbursed RM147 million in funding to 147 projects, created 388 high-income jobs, generated RM122.8 million in exports, and produced 39 intellectual property (IP) assets.
In the same statement, MRANTI chief executive officer Ashran Ghazi described the recognition as the result of collaboration across Malaysia's innovation ecosystem. "Recognition as a WSIS Champion demonstrates the progress Malaysia has achieved through NTIS. With the right ecosystem, regulatory support and strategic collaboration, high-potential technologies can grow from research into solutions that deliver real impact," he said.
NTIS' success has also been supported by close collaboration with various agencies, including MIMOS, Futurise, the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) as its funding partner, and the Innovation Acceleration Network (IAN).
MOSTI said NTIS is now entering its next phase under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), with greater emphasis on accelerating innovation adoption and expanding internationally through the Global Testbed and Sandbox Alliance (GTSA). The move aims to enable Malaysian innovations to penetrate ASEAN and global markets, while opening opportunities for direct collaboration with United Nations (UN) agencies and international policymakers.