JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 29– Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), through its Innovation and Commercialisation Centre (ICC), successfully organised the second International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) Research Translation Capacity Strengthening Workshop, themed “Strategic Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development”, on 7 August 2025 at Hotel Ramada by Wyndham, Meridin Johor Bahru. The full-day event convened 42 participants from universities, research institutions, and innovation agencies to explore practical pathways for translating research into commercial value and societal impact. Attendees represented both public and private universities, including Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Monash University Malaysia, and Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed), as well as national research organisations such as the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI).
Led by the Director of UTM ICC, the workshop forms part of a broader effort under the ISPF initiative, supported by the British Council, to empower higher education institutions with the tools and strategies necessary for successful research commercialisation, intellectual property management, and industry engagement.
Equipping Researchers with Strategic Tools for Innovation
The day began with opening remarks and the first session titled “Navigating the Research-to-Market Journey: Strengthening Institutional Capabilities” by Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Noor Azurati Ahmad@Salleh, Director of UTM ICC and a Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP). She emphasized the importance of institutional readiness and leadership in driving research translation and creating sustainable innovation ecosystems within academia.
This was followed by a dynamic session titled “From Ideation to Impact: Navigating Malaysia’s Startup Ecosystem for Translating Research into Meaningful Innovation” delivered by Ainsya Mydiana Ahmad Madzlan, Head of Ecosystem Building at Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB). The talk provided a comprehensive overview of startup pathways, venture building support, and the role of ecosystem players in scaling research-driven solutions.
Participants also took part in a case study session – based on real experiences from UTM Technology Transfer Office – where they were divided into small groups for focused discussions and feedback on real invention scenarios. The session was led by Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Ramesh @ Mohd Zaidi Abd Rozan, Deputy Director of UTM ICC and also Dr. Ma Kalthum Ishak, Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Ahmad Razin Zainal Abidin, Mohamad Fitri Khamis and technology transfer officers from UTM ICC. These sessions allowed participants to apply negotiation frameworks, identify commercialisation gaps, and plan potential industry engagement strategies for their innovations.
The final slot of the day featured a live online session with Dr. Rhian Hayward MBE, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AberInnovation, Aberystwyth University, United Kingdom (UK), who presented “Unlocking Innovation: Strengthening Research Translation for Economic and Social Benefits – Lessons from UK Best Practices”. This international perspective added valuable insights into how the UK supports innovation at the institutional and national levels.
Post-Workshop Online Sharing and Mentoring
The workshop was further enriched by a series of follow-up online sharing sessions held on 11 August 2025. Dr. Ma Kalthum Ishak delivered a session on “Introduction to IP Management and IP Law,” followed by Mohamad Fitri Khamis, RTTP, who presented on “IP Commercialisation.” These sessions were designed to deepen participants’ knowledge of legal protection and monetisation strategies for research outputs. To support continuous learning, each participant received resource materials including the ICCubeX Foundation to Technology Transfer Handbook and a Starter Logbook to serve as practical guidelines for the mentoring process.
In addition, a dedicated online mentoring programme was conducted from 18 to 29 August 2025, where participants were grouped and paired with experienced UTM ICC officers to receive personalised feedback and coaching on innovation readiness, funding strategies, and market alignment.
Moving Forward: Strengthening Institutional Capacity through ICCubeX
This second ISPF workshop is part of UTM ICC’s flagship ICCubeX Venture Path initiative, which provides structured support for researchers through entrepreneurship training, innovation incubation, and industry matchmaking. The programme aligns with Malaysia’s aspirations to position universities as key drivers of the national innovation ecosystem.
Post-workshop feedback indicated high satisfaction among participants, with many highlighting the hands-on structure, relevance of topics, and the opportunity to receive expert feedback on real projects. Many also noted increased confidence in developing commercialisation strategies and engaging industry partners more proactively.
UTM ICC plans to continue expanding its ISPF and ICCubeX offerings through additional workshops, mentoring series, and international collaborations to further support innovation-led growth in higher education.
For more information, visit the official website at icc.utm.my or follow UTM ICC on social media.
Authors: Ts. Dr. Norhayati Mohamed Noor, AMIChemE (Head of ISPF Workshop Taskforce) & Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Noor Azurati Ahmad @ Salleh, RTTP (Project Leader)
Source: UTM NewsHub