Kuala Lumpur — Malaysian leaders have called for stronger collaboration between universities, government, and the private sector to enhance the commercialisation of locally developed research and technologies. Speaking at the University Research and Innovation Investment Summit 2026 (Uriis 2026) held at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi emphasized the need to move beyond reliance on public grants towards a more diverse capital ecosystem involving private investors and industry partners.

Ahmad Zahid highlighted that although Malaysia has established a solid foundation within global supply chains—particularly in sectors such as semiconductors—many homegrown technologies face difficulties securing the right partners or funding to scale from research validation to market-ready products. “The problem is not always the quality of the research. More often, it is the lack of the right partner, capital or pathway to scale,” he said.

Focusing on national priorities, Ahmad Zahid urged research efforts to address challenges in areas like food security, healthcare, energy, and productivity. He suggested that rural communities, including those in his Bagan Datuk constituency, could serve as testbeds for innovations such as digital healthcare, renewable energy, and smart logistics. The Deputy Prime Minister pointed to Malaysia’s ranking of 34th in the Global Innovation Index 2025 among 139 economies, noting a disparity between strong innovation inputs and weaker economic outputs from research.

Aligning with national goals to stimulate economic growth and technological independence, Ahmad Zahid called for a shift from merely developing talent to building homegrown technology enterprises. He cited targets to attract RM500 billion in investments and cultivate 60,000 highly skilled local engineers by 2030. He encouraged ministries, universities, and investors to ensure technologies showcased at Uriis 2026 move toward commercialisation under the vision summarized as “Create, Commercialise, Own.”

Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of market-driven funding mechanisms and industry collaboration. He noted that while Malaysia’s research and development (R&D) expenditure has reached approximately 1% of gross domestic product (around RM20 billion), the critical challenge remains converting research into tangible commercial results and local value capture, including intellectual property ownership.

Amir Hamzah emphasized the need to support local firms through a robust capital market, ensuring adequate resources are available to nurture promising ventures. He highlighted government initiatives such as the GEAR-uP programme, with commitments totaling RM120 billion over five years from government-linked investment companies, complemented by venture funds like Dana Perintis, Dana Permaju, and Dana Impak. However, he acknowledged that even technically sound products may struggle to attract investors if their market positioning and sales strategies are weak.

Both leaders underscored the necessity of aligning research with national frameworks such as the New Industrial Master Plan, the National Semiconductor Strategy, and the Energy Transition Roadmap to attract investments and improve commercialisation prospects. The Uriis 2026 summit aims to serve as a platform that connects university research capabilities with industry needs, government support, investors, and the market, facilitating the evaluation and scaling of technologies based on actual industry demands.