Over the years, Malaysian entrepreneurs have struggled to move beyond the idea stage to bring their innovative ideas to life. Innovators struggle with access to funding, expertise to scale, and filing for patents, which can be complex and time-consuming.
As a result, Malaysia’s commercialization rate is estimated at only 5% to 10%.
But thanks to the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS), all high-potential innovations were able to follow a smooth path to commercialization.
An initiative of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) under the National Economic Revitalization Plan (PENJANA), NTIS develops innovative products and solutions, promotes the adoption of advanced technologies, provides commercial The purpose is to provide financial assistance in preparation for entry into a more competitive economy. and a more competitive market.
With support from 26 ministries and 45 Innovation Acceleration Network partners, NTIS has supported 163 companies since July 2020.
Prostrain Technologies is one of the companies that benefited from the invention of MediBOT during the Covid-19 pandemic. MediBOT is a telepresence mobile robot with vital signs medical equipment that reduces patient-physician contact.
“MediBOT helps healthcare workers perform ward rounds. Doctors can avoid direct contact with high-risk patients by controlling the robot from another room. has a microphone and speakers so doctors can easily communicate with their patients,” said Mohd Hirzi Amirrudin, Founder and CEO of Prostrain Technologies.
However, he faced challenges in bringing MediBOT to market.
“It is difficult to obtain medical certification because the standards are so strict. We adopted IEC 60601-1-2, which contains 11 tests. I have.”
Fortunately, NTIS provides a platform for innovators to test and validate innovative technologies with minimal restrictions. As a result, Hirzi obtained the medical certification and funding needed to test his MediBOT in hospitals.
Meanwhile, Jefri Efendi Mohd Salih of Farmotic Sdn Bhd, a company with 20 years of experience in designing agricultural robots for small plots to large plantations, said: NTIS gives us access to more markets. We participated in numerous exhibitions and were constantly requesting field demonstrations. ”
With NTIS, innovators can save time on tedious procedures such as documentation and paperwork while going through a smoother process for obtaining all necessary approvals. In addition, NTIS also funds innovation through four different funding schemes.
“The funding from NTIS has allowed us to build more prototypes and increase production. It made sure our robots were on the right track,” says Jefri.
Adrian Abdul Ghani of MSD Innovation wanted to test and improve his company’s Smart Urban Farming (SUF) technology before commercializing it. He found out about his NTIS reputation for attracting the right talent to remove the bottlenecks for startups to reach commercialization.
“NTIS has allowed us to calibrate an affordable SUF solution. We were able to do that,” said Adrian.
He said he believes NTIS has been the catalyst for developing the company’s SUF technology.
“Companies need to participate because NTIS enables budding participants to learn and improve themselves in preparation for commercialization,” he asserted.
Details of the NTIS program here.