Innovation and Creative Economy Centre for Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: The government through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) is emphasizing on humanizing innovation, as Malaysia moves toward the highincome developed nation status in less than three years from now.
Minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had announced earlier that the efforts will be innovation-led.
“MOSTI is doing its part to contribute to the nation’s quest to spur an innovation-led economy,” he said.
In this respect, he reiterated MOSTI, through its agency Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia (YIM), plans to establish a Centre for Innovation and Creative Economy in Sabah.
“This will promote grassroots innovations. We want innovation that solves the people’s everyday problems,” he said, adding that the centre would give opportunity to people to come and develop their innovation ideas.
Hence, he welcomed programmes that promote innovation and creativity such as the Sabah Creativity and Innovation Technology Exhibition (SCINTEX) that is being organised by the Industrial Training Institute (ILP).
Officiating at the closing and prize presentation ceremony of the fourth SCINTEX in Sepanggar on Sunday, Tangau said he was glad to note that it had attracted participation from as far as Brunei, Sarawak and Labuan. This year, 74 entries have been received for contest in the various categories.
“In line with the government’s aspirations, SCINTEX is assisting in promoting local creative and innovation products. With participation from the industry, schools, public and private higher learning institutes, skills training institutes and individuals, I am sure the competition is generating high-impact innovations from across the board,” he said.
He noted that the main prize winner of SCINTEX 2015, the Ozone Generator project had move far ahead, winning various awards at the International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) 2015 and the Malaysian Technology Expo (MTE) 2016.
Last year’s SCINTEX gold winner, the Dart Opener project had gone on to win the Best Award in the Malaysian Technology Expo (MTE) 2016, and the International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) 2016. It was also adjudged as the champion of the Sabah Zone National Intellectual Property Award.
While the Welder Arm project from SCINTEX 2016 was given the Jury Special Award and had won several awards such as the KSM Innovation Day 2016, International Research Conference & Innovation Exhibition (IRCIE) 2016 and as champion at the Crown Prince Award Brunei Darussalam 2017.
Tangau said the achievements were testimony to the success of SCINTEX, hence, he assured full support from his ministry towards the programme.
He also commended the ILP for taking the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) initiative to collaborate with various government agencies such as the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) Sabah and YIM in organising SCINTEX.
He said one of the direct impacts of SCINTEX was that it coincided with MOSTI’s objective which is science to create wealth.
Later, Tangau accompanied by IDS chief executive officer Datuk Hasnol Ayub presented prizes to the winners.