Capacity Building Workshop on the legal framework, regulatory issues, and implications on technology transfer in Malaysia

The two-year project was funded by the UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) and delivered by the British Council and MIGHT. The Innovation and Technology Managers Association Malaysia (ITMA) assisted in providing local context for the project and ALP Synergy delivered the project on behalf of the British Council.

The programme started with a scoping study and followed by a series of workshops held in between 2019 and 2021 with the following aims:

  1.  To create a conducive and supportive knowledge exchange and technology transfer governance, legal and regulatory framework in Malaysia.
  2. To bring together all key technology transfer stakeholders and create a cohesive knowledge exchange and technology transfer landscape in Malaysia.
  3. To develop a better understanding between legal advisors and technology transfer professionals, exchange experience and ways of working, build connections and dialogues to address some legal challenges for technology transfer in Malaysia

In 2019, a scoping study was commissioned to review the governance, regulatory and policy support for knowledge and technology transfer in Malaysia. Four topics were selected for the scoping and those topics were identified as areas for improvements during the British Council’s funded Higher Education Partnership Programme (see here https://www.britishcouncil.my/higher-education-partnership-hep-program). 

Below are the four topics: - 

  • Topic 1: Coordinated technology transfer landscape in Malaysia. 
  • Topic 2: Technology transfer policy and legal framework for biology, medical, life sciences and engineering fields (compared to ICT). 
  • Topic 3: Promoting understanding of the technology transfer landscape for policy makers, universities’ senior management and legal advisors. 
  • Topic 4: Dedicated technology transfer personnel at universities

The findings were further discussed in a workshop held on 14-15 January 2020 with stakeholders in the field. For more information about the findings of the scoping, please read the scoping report. You can download it from the downloads section at the bottom of the page.Please note that the study represents the opinions of individual and it is shared for learning and educational purposes. 

Following the January’s workshop, three more workshops to strengthen the capacity and learning in those areas were held on the following dates: 21 to 23 October 2020, 23 to 25 November 2020, and 19 to 20 January 2021. All the workshops were delivered virtually due to the ongoing pandemic situation in Malaysia and were facilitated by the UK and US consultants remotely. The workshops involved presentations from Malaysian, US and UK experts, keynote lectures, group work, discussions, and training sessions. The workshops were attended by 80 participants from various background and positions – i.e., government representatives, legal practitioners, technology transfer professionals and management representatives from universities, research institutions and industries.

The first workshop focused on general legal and regulatory framework issues in technology transfer, and the second on legal and regulatory issues specifically affecting technology transfer in the life and biomedical sciences and engineering spheres. The third workshop brought together all gaps and other issues highlighted by the experts and participants in the first two workshops, for discussion with university management, Malaysian Ministry and other policy maker stakeholders. The highlight of the project was during the “Stakeholder Forum and Roundtable Discussion” on 21 January 2021 where YB Tuan Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) officiated the Stakeholder Forum and Roundtable Discussion on 21 January 2021 where the forum was officiated by YB Tuan Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). The Minister highlighted the ambition for Malaysia to be a high tech, high income nation and noted that strong foundations had been established for this. All aspects of nation building were reassessed, for example the need to make Malaysia more resilient in the face of crises such as the pandemic where Malaysia started investing in local vaccine production, a process which is very dependent on technology transfer.

The final workshop of the project produced a list of recommendations for action to support universities, industry and their frontline practitioners in addressing the technology transfer legal obstacles that were highlighted by the participants of the two-year project. As a follow-up, mentoring sessions were provided to selected stakeholders and participants who would support and facilitate the uptake of the recommendations.

For more details, please download the report of the final workshop. The report is a result of a series of discussions, learning and experience exchange among participants. It represents the opinions of individual. The report should not be taken as organisation’s views and it is only for learning and educational purposes. You may not copy, distribute, modify or in any other way exploit any part of the materials.

Please contact Ms Kuek Yen Sim, Head, Newton Fund and Science yensim.kuek@britishcouncil.org if you have any questions.

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