By: Melissa Heidi Bt Amir Merale
Photo by: Muhammad Izwan Azman

BANGI, 21 March 2017 – Innovation is vital for a vigorous and aggressive economic development of a country like Malaysia.

UKM Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Industry and Community Partnerships, Prof Dato’ Dr Imran Ho Abdullah said that attention needs to be drawn to the public for this matter as Malaysia has been in the Middle Income County doldrums for quite some time and the only way out of that stagnation is to produce more innovative products for the need of a market that emphasizes value.

He said that the path that has been led by UKM in hosting Innovation Day is an effort to encourage partnership and collaboration with the government and private sector, in line with the advancements in technology for commercialization.

Prof Dato’ Dr Imran was speaking at the launch of 2017 Innovation Day in conjunction with the Techno Business Pitching Event hosted by the Centre of Collaborative Innovation at a hotel in Bangi, Selangor, recently.

UKM’s Innovation Day 2017 that was suggested to be hosted annually, is a medium that provides an opportunity for the industry to preview UKM researcher’s intellectual property.

In 2016, 107 intellectual property has been registered in which 28 were new patents, six granted patents, 69 copyrights and four trademarks.

All intellectual properties that has been registered in the system are products of various research and development team that has been executed in UKM which addresses the seven Grand Challenges namely, Malaysia and Wellness; Malaysia and Sustainability; Strengthening STEM Education; Empowering the B40’s; ASEAN Integration; Malay World & Mindset; and Contemporary Islam. Under this category, lies 12 niche area of intellectual property such as Renewable Energy, Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Content-Based Informatics and Biodiversity and Biotech Development.

Also present at the ceremony were Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Mark Rozario, Member Board of Director of UKM, Datuk Dr. Ahmed Tasir Lope Pihie, Chief Executive Officer, PlaTCom Ventures Sdn. Bhd., Dr Viraj Pareira and Director of The Centre of Collaborative Innovation, Dr. Mohamad Sanusi Jangi.