Raising Malaysia’s profile as an innovation leader in South East Asia

KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 (Bernama) -- Applications are now open for LIA Malaysia 2018, the Malaysian Leaders in Innovation Accelerator. This intensive 16-week programme of practical entrepreneurship skills and expert business mentoring is targeted at innovations developed in publicly-funded universities and research institutes, that combine socio-economic impact and international growth-market potential. The aim of the programme is to match Malaysian researchers, academics, independent technology entrepreneurs and early-stage technology start-ups with expert business mentors based in the UK, empowering home-grown talent to secure investment and accelerate their international business growth.

The LIA Malaysia programme, which will be run in collaboration with the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), is an exciting follow-on to the Leaders in Innovation Fellowships (LIF) programme, a Royal Academy of Engineering initiative supported by the UK Government’s Newton Fund. Now in its fourth year, the LIF programme is an intensive residential programme of expert coaching and entrepreneurship training for innovation fellows from the 14 Newton Fund partner countries. LIA Malaysia is the first in-country Accelerator programme to spin-out of the highly successful LIF Programme.

Oxentia’s Development Director Dr Tim Hart said “It is a testament to both the huge potential of Malaysian entrepreneurs and the excellent working relationships with MIGHT that Malaysia will be home to the first LIF programme spin-out accelerator. This is a pioneering programme - we know first-hand from the success of the LIF programme that the Malaysian research base has huge untapped innovation potential; LIA Malaysia will bring together the best and brightest Malaysian innovators and empower them to expand their product reach to a global market.”

Shane McHugh, Head of International Activities at the Royal Academy of Engineering explained “In our work in Malaysia under the Newton Ungku-Omar Fund LIF programme, we have helped some fantastic research entrepreneurs take the first steps in commercialising their great ideas for solving local challenges. We are delighted that under the Newton Ungku-Omar Fund, Oxentia and  MIGHT will collaborate to take some of the most exciting innovations we have come across, and turn them into sustainable businesses which can create jobs and boost economic growth and social development.”
 
Datuk Dr. Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman, President & CEO of  the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) said  “MIGHT looks forward to working with our partners the Royal Academy of Engineering, Oxentia and the Newton -Ungku Omar Fund to further strength collaboration between the UK and Malaysia in the areas of science, technology and innovation. The Malaysian Leaders in Innovation accelerator clearly demonstrates the commitment from both countries to support sustainable development by up-skilling our technology and innovation research base.”
 
“With the right opportunities and continued capacity-building in science and research I believe Malaysia has the opportunity to lead innovation entrepreneurship at both a regional and global level. We wholeheartedly support the LIA Malaysia 2018 Accelerator programme mentoring Malaysian technology entrepreneurs on their journey to become significant global players.”

Izza Ismail, Newton Fund Strategic Manager in Malaysia is enthusiastic about the programme’s potential to create real-world research impact. “Build, explore, learn, create, influence. The Newton-Ungku Omar Fund fully embraces the LIA Malaysia virtues within our programmes to help develop and support research and innovation collaborations between the UK and Malaysia. We have been funding quality research projects since 2015 and have grown to realise the importance of research translation and commercialisation. This is one of our key programmes and we look forward to helping empower Malaysian entrepreneurs bring their brilliant ideas to fruition”.

Applications close on the 16^th of July 2018. Thirty of the most promising teams will initially be shortlisted to join a three-day boot-camp in Kuala Lumpur, where fifteen teams will then be selected for the one-on-one 16-week mentored acceleration programme. At the end of the programme participants will pitch to international investors and potentially secure funding for what could be South East Asia’s next Tech Unicorn. The application form, selection criteria and further particulars can be found on the LIA Malaysia website https://www.innovationleaders.global/.

Source :  Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT)
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name : Fatin Asmida Asman
Executive, Group Communications, MIGHT
Tel : 012-549 6504 
Email : asmida@might.org.my
MIGHT’s Official Website: www.might.org.my
MIGHT’s Official Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/mightmalaysia
MIGHT’s Official Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/mightmalaysia  

--BERNAMA