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Closer collaboration between the government, universities and the private sector is crucial to commercialising local research and turning home-grown technologies into global success stories, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Speaking when officiating the University Research and Innovation Investment Summit 2026 (Uriis 2026) on Tuesday (Sept 22), Ahmad Zahid said the country must move beyond reliance on public grants and build a broader capital ecosystem to turn home-grown technologies into products, intellectual property and Malaysian-owned enterprises, with a focus on national needs such as food security, healthcare, energy and productivity.

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Transcript
00:03Too many promising technologies still struggle to move from research to pilot,
00:09from pilot to commercialization, and from commercialization to skill.
00:16This is the missing middle that we must strengthen.
00:21From my experience, the problem is not always the quality of the research.
00:26More often, it is the lack of the right partner, capital or pathway to skill.
00:35This is where government, universities, industry and investments work together, more closely together.
00:44So, to close this gap, I believe Malaysia must make three important shifts.
00:50The first shift is from depending mainly on grants to building a broader ecosystem of capital.
01:00Public funding will remain important.
01:04MK2 is here.
01:05He is always very concerned about guna kelah perdukan yang sedia ada, yang tidak ada.
01:13Especially for fundamental research and strategic areas.
01:18But once the technology shows real potential, government cannot carry it alone.
01:26That is when industry, investors and private capital must come in.
01:32Government can help fund discovery.
01:35I am very sure Dr. Sri Amei will be encouraged to assist us, but it cannot fund every stage of
01:44skill, of course.
01:46Research grants create possibilities.
01:50Investment, meanwhile, helps turn the most promising ideas into product, companies and market.
01:57If we get this idea right, this move right, we will not simply fund more research.
02:07We will fund more outcomes.
02:10We will fund more outcomes.
02:13That is the first one.
02:16The second shift, the second shift is from measuring research mainly by what we produce
02:24to what we are able to solve.
02:27Publication, pattern, and prototype, as mentioned by the Minister, remain important.
02:34Surely, but their greatest value comes when they improve life, strengthen industries,
02:44and address real national challenges.
02:48Malaysia already has many areas where research can make an immediate difference.
02:54Food security, food security, health care, energy, automation, and productivity.
03:00These are not only challenges.
03:03They are opportunities to develop Malaysian solution for Malaysian needs.
03:08I believe rural Malaysia can be one of the best places to test whether an innovation actually works.
03:18The DESA, the Kampong, should not only receive technology after it has been developed elsewhere.
03:27It can become a place where new solutions are tested, refined, and proven in real condition.
03:36Digital health, renewable energy, water technology, and smart logistics are example where innovation can create direct impact in rural communities.
03:49When research solves a real problem faced by our people, that is when innovation moves from theory to value.
03:59So, as the Minister responsible for rural development, Menteri Kampung,
04:05I can already offer you a ready-made laboratory, our rural areas, our kampung, insyaAllah.
04:18And if you need a place to start, Baganato and Pulau Pangkau is always available, insyaAllah.
04:30Come not only to conduct research, but to solve real problems on the ground.
04:36That is the second shift.
04:38That is the second shift.
04:39The third shift is from talent to enterprise and ownership.
04:44Malaysia has long been a strong destination for investment and manufacturing.
04:50The next step is to build more value from the capabilities we already have.
04:56Malaysia is targeting about RM500 billion in investment and about 60,000 highly skilled local engineers by 2030.
05:09That is a major national investment in talent and capability.
05:14But to me, talent alone is not enough.
05:17We must ensure that more of that knowledge and expertise eventually produce Malaysian technologies, intellectual properties and companies that can
05:30compete globally.
05:32We should not only be proud when something is made in Malaysia.
05:38We should aim to see more technologies invented in Malaysia.
05:43This is a major fund on this issue.
05:48We should build more beyond the organisation.
05:54This is a major fund for us.
05:57This is a major fund for us.
05:57I'm sure that with Dr. Sr. Diyarajah Dr. Abdul Abdelkader,
06:03this can be achieved from all universities.
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