Innovation
From The Report: Malaysia 2016
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A series of economic reforms launched in 2010 support Malaysia’s goal of lifting itself out of the middle-income trap and into the ranks of high-income economies by 2020. As part of the Economic Transformation Plan (ETP), the government established the Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (Malaysian Innovation Agency, AIM) to lead policies and strategies related to innovation. Additionally, innovation and research and development have been identified as crucial to success in five of the 12 National Key Economic Areas targeted for transformation, including hydrocarbons and palm oil, as part of a strategy to move from labour-intensive to knowledge-based industries. Over the past few years, policymakers have sought to make the country more conducive to innovators and risk-takers. The 11th Malaysia Plan, which lays out the country’s economic path through to 2020, describes innovation as one of its game-changers. This chapter contains an interview with Mark Rozario, CEO, Malaysian Innovation Agency.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Thinking straight: New programmes are focused on shaking up business as usual
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A series of economic reforms launched in 2010 aim to support Malaysia to reach its goal of lifting itself out of the middle-income trap and into the ranks of high-income economies by 2020. As part of the Economic Transformation Plan (ETP), the government established Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (Malaysian Innovation Agency, AIM) to lead policies and strategies related to innovation. Additionally, innovation and research and development (R&D) have been identified as crucial to success in five of the…

Interview

Aim to please: OBG talks to Mark Rozario, CEO, Malaysian Innovation Agency (AIM)
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Interview: Mark Rozario How has Malaysia’s innovation strategy evolved over the last five years? MARK ROZARIO: We started off with our National Innovation Strategy five years ago, when AIM was formed. Our mandate is to look at the whole spectrum of activities, because innovation cuts across every aspect of society. We have identified six key focus areas. Our overall goal is to create wealth through innovation. We start by cultivating a thinking culture. Our priority is how to equip our next generation…

Analysis

Cashing in: More start-ups are taking their ideas to the next step
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Although Malaysia has made great strides in nurturing innovation, as evidenced by its performance on the 2015 Global Innovation Index (GII), more needs to be done to translate ideas into action The country is now embarking on a comprehensive plan to address challenges in terms of commercialisation and provide companies and businesses with the tools they need, whether professional advice or seed funding, to get their ideas to market. While Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (Malaysian Innovation Agency, AIM)…

Analysis

Practical applications: New solutions are being implemented in agriculture
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The country is targeting its innovation initiatives in key industries, including agriculture, where it is expected to have a major impact. Some 88% of Malaysia’s palm oil crop is exported, and edible oil accounts for more than 5% of Malaysia’s annual exports. The plan is to move up the value chain to develop higher-end products like fuels and chemicals by exploiting the waste created by the industry’s more traditional products. The Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) aims to generate RM178bn…

Analysis

Working together: New platforms are facilitating SME and industry networking
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Under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), which lays out Malaysia’s economic path until 2020, manufacturers are being encouraged to undertake more research and development (R&D) to improve their products and processes. Since many Malaysian manufacturers are small, the government is also increasing the opportunities available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for collaboration. Assistance Hub The Steinbeis Malaysia Foundation was set up as part of the Malaysian Innovation Agency in 2014…