Research and development (R&D) and innovation assume a key role in advancing S&T in a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy. New and/or cutting-edge technologies create new products/services that enhance wealth creation and societal well-being for nations. At the same time, R&D enhances national competitive advantage.

Realizing the importance of R&D and innovation, the Government has initiated a competitive funding, the TechnoFund, to undertake precommercialization of new and/or cutting edge technologies in the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006 – 2010).

TechnoFund is a competitive funding to undertake development of new and/or cutting edge technologies in five (5) technology clusters -

• Biotechnology,
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT),
• Industry,
• Sea to Space, and
• S&T Core.

These technologies must have the commercial potential to create new businesses and generate economic wealth for Malaysia.

The process may involve the following activities:

• The acquisition of technology (foreign and/or local) ;
• Up-scaling of laboratory prototype or development of commercial ready prototype;
• Development of pilot plant (pilot plant is used to generate information about the behavior of the system or to provide valuable data in order to reduce the risk associated with the construction of the full-scale plant. Therefore pilot plant should be smaller than production scale plants and based on the “rule of thumb”, the amount involved should not exceed 10 times at the lab scale);
• Pre-clinical or clinical trials/field trials for demonstration and testing purposes;

In other words, TechnoFund serves as a bridging fund to address the funding gap which exists between the earlier basic research stage and the commercialization stage (as shown in the diagram below).

AIMS

TechnoFund aims to:

• Stimulate the growth and successful innovation of Malaysian technology-based enterprises by increasing their level of R&D and commercialization; 
   
• Increase capability and capacity of Malaysian Government Research Institutes (GRI) and Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) to undertake market driven R&D and to commercialize the R&D outputs through spinoffs/ licensing; 
   
• Enhance global competitiveness and R&D culture among Malaysian technology-based enterprises; 
   
• Increase contribution to Malaysia’s GDP through economic wealth creation and exports; 
   
• Foster greater collaboration between Malaysian enterprises and GRI / IHL; and 
   
• To encourage institutions, local companies and inventors to capitalize their intellectual work through patent registration.

  Read more on the Guidelines and other information at the MOSTI Website.

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