Pursue R&D to find new discoveries, biotechnology researchers urged
K OT AKIN AB A LU: Researchers and experts in the biotechnology industry need to pursue their path through research and development (R& D) as it would lead to new discoveries that could be translated into innovations.
Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Azhar Yahaya said the discoveries made by researchers and experts had been capitalised by the industry to spur the economy towards sustainable development for the benefit of mankind.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the scientific community for taking part in the process of developing the biotechnology industry,” he said at the launch of the two- day Fifth Biotechnology Symposium yesterday.
Organised by Universit i Malaysia Sabah’s ( UMS) Biotechnology Research Institute, the symposium themed “Biotechnology for Sustainable Development to Meet Global Challenges” gathers more than 80 scientists, academics, students, industry representatives and professionals.
Mohd Azhar said the corporatisation of research institutes under the National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia ( NIBM) helped the institutes focused on market driven R& D and freely form a network of collaborations with local and international universit ies, as wel l as companies.
He said the facility- sharing concept introduced by NIBM’s would reduce the government expenditure on the sophisticated and high- end scient i f ic instruments.
“The three research institutes consolidated and corporatised under NIBM were Agro- Biotechnology Institute, Malaysia Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals, and Malaysia Genome Institute ,” said, adding the institutes focused on biotechnology R& D and provided scientific analysis services. — Bernama