News Straits Times Press, 25 February 2007

A journey to be taken together

FOR the past six years, Universiti Sains Malaysia, which also has a medical campus in Kelantan, has been promoting its research products in the country and overseas at competitions and exhibitions.

Last year, it allocated RM1.42 million for participation in research exhibitions.

USM’s commercial arm, Usains Group, markets and promotes the intellectual properties of the university, like its products, processes, patents, designs, and copyright material along with the consultancy services of its professional and technical staff.

Usains Group managing director Datuk Dr Gan Ee-Kiang said: "We also market the university’s physical and technological facilities.
"Commercialisation takes the form of contract research, consultancy and testing services, project management, clinical practices, joint ventures and licences plus the sale of intellectual property."

Since its incorporation in 1998, Usains has commercialised 13 research products. Among USM’s inventions in the global market are Typhidot for diagnosis of typhoid and Brugia Rapid for filariasis testing.

Typhidot, which is endorsed by the World Health Organisation, is available in China, India, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Sudan, South Africa, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.

For Typhidot, USM established a partnership with research and development company Malaysian Bio-Diagnostics Research Sdn Bhd.
The collaboration between MBDR and USM’s Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine in the mid-1990s marked three milestones:
• The research and product development were solely undertaken by Malaysians;
• It made a major contribution to the development of molecular biology; and
• The rapid test kits raised Malaysia’s profile as a major player in health care with a focus on tropical diseases.

USM vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dzulkifli Abdul Razak said: "MBDR is a rare Malaysian company which has seen the value in collaborating with a local university and leveraging on its research."

USM also works with Cuba’s Finlay Institute to develop vaccines for tuberculosis and meningitis.

Halal vaccines for meningitis, he said, would benefit two million Muslim pilgrims each year when they go Mecca for their haj.

So, why is that there are hardly any takers locally for research from local universities and a perceived lack of interest from the public and private sectors?

He said: "Perhaps it’s because science has little political mileage."

Gan said it had to contend with those from industry coming to universities and expecting to lay their hands on research which they hoped would evolve into products "the very next day".
"There is no such thing as a ready product, nor is there free research given out by any university."
He said it was also important for the private sector to understand that universities did not act as venture capitalists.
"They expect us to help them put out a product with ready demand, when, in actual fact, scientists are not businessmen.

"Our role at the university is to tell industry that we have the technology, which they can nurture, package and market.

"The journey in commercialising research is one which must be taken together by the university and industry with shared revenues.
"This is not an exercise in coming in for a quick kill."

‘Companies must show support for products’

THE corporate sector must have more faith in the products invented by local universities.
"The corporate sector should be willing to invest in the products just like any other investment they undertake with risk," said Universiti Putra Malaysia vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Nik Mustapa Raja Abdullah.
He said this after launching two agro-based fertilisers, Zappa and Vita Grow, and five books on agriculture at the Agricultural Faculty in UPM, Serdang, earlier this month.

He said the response by the corporate sector in Malaysia was lukewarm and could be improved.
"These companies have doubts when it comes to investing in the products because they are fresh out of the lab."

Nik Mustapa said this was unlike in the West, where many companies waited in line to grab any research or product produced by universities for commercialisation.
Another reason why most university researchers found it hard to commercialise their products in Malaysia was because they did not have sufficient funding, he added.
On whether the poor response was due to companies lacking faith in the products produced by local universities, Nik Mustapa said: "No, that is not an issue at all.
"We are trying to get this sorted out and, hopefully, these hiccups would be a thing of the past in a year or two.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamad, who was at the launch, lauded UPM for its efforts in commercialising its research.
"They have been great in producing various research products that have been commercialised since. I am proud of their achievements."

He said UPM had received RM50 million to carry out 311 projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.