PUTRAJAYA, May 18 (Bernama) -- Universities must evolve into institutions capable of producing high-value innovations that translate into practical solutions for society and industry, rather than limiting research to laboratories or academic journals, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir.
He said many local research projects possess strong potential to be commercialised and showcased internationally, but continue to face challenges related to funding, strategic support and access to investment ecosystems.
“Universities today need to play a greater role in producing innovations that can generate meaningful impact on the economy and society,” he said in a statement after attending the “Opening Access to Capital: Roundtable for Universities and Venture Capitalists” programme at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Serdang, Selangor, today.
In the same statement, UPM vice-chancellor Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah said the university remains committed to strengthening its innovation culture and governance framework to ensure research outcomes can be translated into tangible benefits for industry and the wider community.
The programme, organised jointly by UPM and the Malaysian Private Capital Association (MPCA), created a broader platform for collaboration between universities and investors in preparation for the 2026 University Research and Innovation Investment Summit (URIIS).
The initiative served as a meeting platform bringing together university representatives, venture capital investors and policymakers to discuss efforts to accelerate access to financing and help university research products expand into industrial and international markets.
-- BERNAMA
