Bernama.com (Malaysian National News Agency), 7 May, 2007

Strong Linkage With Global Biotech Community Crucial For Malaysia

BOSTON, May 7 (Bernama) -- Strong linkages and collaboration with the global biotechnology community is crucial for Malaysia to realise its objectives and ambitions in the field of biotechnology, said Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak.

"We need to be able to establish strong linkages with the biotech community of the United States so as to leverage on each other's strength and capabilities," he said.

A total of 10 memoranda of understanding were exchanged between Malaysian companies and their partners in the US today.

Malaysia should also build up its relationship with biotech communities of other nations, be they from Europe or Asia, Najib said during the opening of the Malaysian Pavilion at BIO 2007 here, today.

"A symbiosis can be achieved in terms of us gaining from technology transfer, whilst in return offering to our partners reduced costs for doing business, ample multi-lingual and highly skilled labour, a business friendly regulatory framework and an incentive tax structure among others," he said.

Najib is leading the Malaysian delegation of 350 participants for BIO 2007, the world's largest biotechnology convention which started on May 6 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Boston, which is the capital city of Massachusetts, houses some of the industry's leading biotech companies.

It took 40 years for Boston to develop its biotech industry. However, Malaysia wants to speed track its progress in the industry via various collaboration to bring it to a level comparable with other countries, Najib said.

"The government is committed to the national agenda to succeed in the industry, hopefully with your partnership, we will make it happen. I am confident Malaysia has a great future in the industry," Najib said.

The minister also urged the Malaysian participants at the event to maximise their chance to form new business relationships and find new opportunities.

"Be open and communicative as Malaysians are known to be; be receptive to new ideas just as you must be bold enough to express your own ideas and views," he said.

Najib who is also defence minister pointed out that Malaysia is an ideal gateway for investors into the lucrative Asean and Asian markets due to its strategic location and strong ties with countries around the region.

"We are ideally placed to serve as a hub of commerce and trade between east and the west, the best spring board into new markets across the continent, and the perfect place to locate the overseas headquarters of multinational corporations," he said.

On the research side, Najib said Malaysia had enormous potential for new discoveries and development in biotechnology, based on its wealth of natural resources and biodiversity.

Local researchers and domestic biotechnology players are making exciting new discoveries and charting promising new developments, be it in the production of biodiesel, or herbal based cosmetics or remedies for common ailments, he said.

The only thing that perhaps needs to be improved is the fluidity in moving from research to commercialisation. This is due to a number of reasons but the most often cited reason is the lack of industry-academia linkages, he said.

"With the BioNexus initiative to establish a network for research excellence under the National Biotechnology Policy, the Malaysian government hopes to address this issue and encourage greater industry-academia linkages to expedite research commercialisation," he added.

This will in turn catapult Malaysia's biotechnology industry into the mainstream of commerce and trade. Investors will do well to capitalise on this development by establishing business ties with Malaysian BioNexus organisation and become part of Malaysia's next leap forward in this field, he said.

-- BERNAMA