By: Aimi Mohamad Farid
Photographer: Saleha Haron
SERDANG, 9 April — Malaysia is intensifying efforts to transform academic research into market-ready solutions, as key stakeholders convened at the Industry-University Research and Innovation Investment Dialogue 2026 Series 2, a strategic platform to bridge the gap between university research capabilities and industry demands.
The dialogue organised with the support of the Ministry of Higher Education and led by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in collaboration with Universiti Malaya (UM) as secretariat brought together leaders from academia, industry and the investment community, underscoring a growing national priority to accelerate research commercialisation and strengthen industry collaboration.
Chief Executive Officer of MIDA, Dato’ Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid, said Malaysia’s research ecosystem is gaining traction, supported by increasing industry interest and investor confidence.
“Today, it is no longer about how much research we produce, but how much of that research can be translated into real products, solutions and economic growth,” he said.
However, he stressed the need to move beyond research output towards tangible, market-driven outcomes.
“Despite global economic uncertainties, he noted that Malaysia remains resilient, backed by a strong investment pipeline and a clear target to increase research and development (R&D) expenditure to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretariat for the pre-event University Research and Innovation Investment Summit (URIIS), Associate Prof. Dr. Sudesh Prabhakaran of UPM, said the initiative is designed to connect academia and industry through structured collaboration and clear commercialisation pathways.
“Universities and industries often operate in silos. URIIS aims to bridge this divide by aligning research with real industry needs and bringing innovations to market,” he said.
A series of nationwide pre-events will be held ahead of the main summit in September 2026, with insights expected to contribute towards national-level policy recommendations.
Adding further perspective, Prof. Ir. Dr. Harikrishnan Ramiah of Universiti Malaya highlighted the university’s strengths in semiconductor technology and Industry 4.0 innovation, pointing to ongoing efforts in industry-linked research and startup development.
The dialogue reinforced the urgent need for stronger alignment between academia and industry to ensure research outputs translate into practical applications and commercial opportunities.
It also emphasised the importance of building a more integrated innovation ecosystem, where universities, industry players and investors collaborate to drive Malaysia’s economic and technological progress.
