PUTRAJAYA, Nov 15 — A total of 116 applications for research and development (R&D) in science, technology, and innovation (STI) projects have been approved to date involving allocations of RM257 million, said Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang.
The applications were received from STI-related companies, as well as public and private institutions of higher learning, and public research institutes through the Integrated Fund System (SDB) digital platform, which was adopted in July 2021.
To increase the number of effective and high-impact R&D and innovations, he said the Science, Technology, and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) hopes the research outcome would not end just at the report writing or being published in journals.
“It must be continued up to the commercialisation stage, so all the investments provided by the government would be translated into improving the socio-economy and return on investment to the nation,” Chang told the press after officiating the Research, Development, Commercialisation and Innovation (R&D&C&I) Convention today.
The minister, who also launched the SDB at the event, said there are five financing schemes offered via the digital platform, namely Applied Innovation Fund (AIF), Technology Development Fund 1 (TeD1), Technology Development Fund 2 (TeD2), Bridging Fund, and Strategic Research Fund through Implementing and Monitoring Agencies (SRF-APP).
At present, some 23,000 users are registered on the digital platform.
SDB, available at www.sdb.mosti.gov.my was developed by Mosti’s Information Technology Management Division and Fund Division. It aims to facilitate the ministry’s R&D fund management in line with the public sector digitalisation initiative.
Meanwhile, secretary of Fund Division Imran Abdullah said the division would undertake periodic monitoring of all approved STI R&D projects to ensure the objectives of each project are achieved within the stipulated time.
He said each funding category has a timeframe for project implementation, which has been set at between 12 and 36 months.
— Bernama
