Bernama.com (Malaysian National News Agency), 20 April, 2007

Malaysia Seeks To Attract Biotech Outsourcing

KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will seek to attract biotechnology outsourcing, especially from the United States, to the country at the BIO International Convention (BIO 2007) next month.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said Friday that Malaysia would use the event as an international platform to get the attention of investors in the country as an outsourcing destination.

"There is flourishing interest from the West on outsourcing of the biotechnology sector to Asia. Malaysia is strategically located in Asia and we should make use of the interest to woo those involved to our country," he said at a press conference on Malaysia's participation at BIO 2007.

Currently, China and India are the two countries in Asia often referred as the preferred destinations for such outsourcing activities, he added.

BIO 2007, to be held in the US city of Boston from May 6 to 9, is organised by the Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO).

Currently, BIO represents about 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centres and related organisations in all the US states and 31 other nations.

BIO members are involved in wide areas of healthcare, agriculture, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.

The Malaysian delegation, to be led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, will see the largest participation by the country, with 300 delegates at BIO 2007 compared with 150 in 2006 and 100 in 2005.

Jamaludin said as of now, there are five memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to be signed during BIO 2007.

"We expect more, I will announce this at a later stage," he said.

The MoUs are mainly for foreign direct investment (FDI), transfer of technology, and acquisition of technology related to the biotechnology sector, he added.

According to Jamaludin, Malaysia has gained from participating in the international convention, which included the inflow of FDI in the biotechnolgy sector.

"Previously, nobody wanted to do joint research with us. Now they want to. Because of our promotion efforts, they know we are serious," he said.

Such efforts, he added, will speed up the investment activities here.

-- BERNAMA