Commercialisation of Universities' R&D - A Malaysian (And Possibility Asian) Perspective

Converting R&D outputs from universities and research institutions into the commercial market remains an enormous challenge in Malaysia, and possibly in many Asian countries. Unlike the vibrant academia-industry eco-systems in developed nations, there are still many persistent gaps that hamper the transfer of R&D outcomes and expertise from universities to domestic companies in developing countries such as Malaysia. This resulted in much wasted investment by the government in R&D projects that are not being translated into commerciallyviable technologies that can contribute to wealth generation and socio-economic betterment of the country. In this keynote talk, the speaker will share his experience and opinions on how R&D outputs and also expertise from universities can be commercialised in the Malaysian and possibly Asian context. The speaker will dissect and analyse the commercialisation eco-system in three components; the academia, the industry and the commercialisation channels between these two entities. Some suggestions and ideas will also be shared on how the process of R&D commercialisation can be improved and enhanced in Malaysia and Asian countries in general.