The Malaysian Research Accelerator For Technology And Innovation (MRANTI) has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Beijing Zhongguancun Science City Innovation Development Co. Ltd for several strategic initiatives aimed at fostering significant advancements in technology and innovation.
MRANTI said in a statement on Thursday that the five key areas of collaboration are personnel exchange and shared development experiences, training and seminars, mutual benchmarking and knowledge visit system, collaborative research and soft-landing services for market entry.
According to the statement, the first initiative will set up a robust system for personnel exchanges to leverage each other’s development experiences in managing Science and Technology parks.
This collaboration is expected to enhance the implementation of best practices and promote mutual learning and growth.
Secondly, both parties will collaborate on developing and implementing training programs and seminars.
These will focus on enhancing entrepreneurial capabilities, constructing robust innovation ecosystems, incubating technology businesses, and transforming scientific research into commercial success stories.
Meanwhile, a mutual-visit system will be established to support direct interactions and cooperative endeavors among enterprises from both countries.
This system aims to facilitate business collaborations and market expansion through organized exchanges and visits.
The partnership will also explore collaborative research projects that further the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation.
By combining the strengths of both entities, the initiative aims to tackle global challenges and achieve industry-redefining breakthroughs.
To assist companies looking to enter each other’s markets, both organizations will provide soft-landing services.
These services are designed to offer the necessary support and resources for companies to navigate new opportunities with greater ease and confidence.
“This collaboration underscores the deepening partnership between Malaysia and China, especially in the crucial fields of science, technology, and innovation.” said Chang Lih Kang, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation in Malaysia.
“We are eager to expand our cooperation across various sectors, including interconnectivity, the digital economy, the green economy, modern agriculture, and biomedicine,
“These efforts reflect our mutual interests and the dynamic capabilities of our nations to drive substantial progress together,” he added.
Meanwhile, MRANTI Chief Executive Officer Dr. Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff reiterated that through this partnership, MRANTI is poised to elevate Malaysia’s technological capabilities on the international stage, ensuring that Malaysia is not just participants but leaders in the global innovation arena.
He also stressed that this cooperation is essential in creating a common platform for Malaysia and China to access capital, market, talents and innovation.
“For Malaysia, the ability to access the massive market in China, tap into funding/capital through the 80 unicorns in China’s science, technology and innovation hub,
Zhongguancun (ZGC), not forgetting the highly robust talents and innovation that can engender massive impact and outcome to the nation and society,
“A new deal that will shape the future of technology and innovation landscape in Malaysia, exciting times ahead indeed,” he added.
According to the statement, the partnership is set to unlock new possibilities and propel both nations towards a future dominated by innovation and sustained growth in the global arena.
It is noted that the ZGC Science City LTD. was established by the Chinese local government of Haidian district in 2019, with a mission to serve the innovation ecosystem construction of ZGC Science City and high-quality development of Haidian District of Beijing.
The hub is also a home to nearly 22,000 high-tech companies, with an average of 90 new businesses being born there each day.
Global companies such as Lenovo, Baidu, Xiaomi and Beigene started up from Z-Park, as did over 80 Unicorn companies such as Toutiao, Mggvii and Cambricon.
Over 200 branches and research and development (R&D) centers of the world’s Top 500 companies have offices at Zhongguancun Science Park.
MRANTI visited Zhongguancun Science Park (Z-Park) demo center last December 2023, where it showcases the real park covering an area of 120,000 acres with approximately 16 parks distributed across Beijing, including those situated within Haidian district.