BioValley satellite location identified in Penang


BY DERRICK VINESH

THE Penang government has identified a 176ha site in the Bukit Minyak industrial park to develop a BioValley satellite centre, said Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

The area, designated for the manufacture of bio-pharmaceutical products, will be the biotechnology industrial park for the northern region.

Koh added that several multinational companies were keen to set up a base for new capital and knowledge-intensive biotechnological industries in Penang.

“We already have a BioValley satellite in the form of Universiti Sains Malaysia's (USM) marine biology unit focusing on biotechnology, but this satellite will be biopharmaceutical-based, with production and research work conducted here.

“It is not meant to compete with the 200ha BioValley project in Dengkil near Putrajaya, but to harness our existing resources in information and communications technology by supplementing the BioValley initiative,” Koh said after opening the 14th National Biotechnology Seminar on Thursday.

He said three multinationals involved in pharmaceutical products, biologics, as well as contract research and drug testing would soon set up base in Penang.

Koh said existing companies involved in biotechnology included Agilent Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd and B. Braun Medical Industries Sdn Bhd.

“We are actively promoting biotechnology and medical equipment since the cost of producing such equipment is very high in Europe and the United States. So, firms involved in biotechnology should leverage on the competitive advantage that we have in Penang.”

USM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dzulkifli Abdul Razak said it would continue to push its research, especially in biotechnology, towards becoming an elite world-class university.

Great news! Go for world class!

Business Times - 04 Feb 2004

KUALA LUMPUR
Plan for BioValley institutions ready by end-2005

The 3 institutions will focus on core activities under biotechnology

A MASTERPLAN for the proposed three institutions to spearhead the development of the BioValley project is expected to be ready by end-2005, the Malaysian Business Times reported yesterday.

Disclosing this, Science, Technology and the Environment Ministry secretary-general Leong Ah Hin said the development committee on BioValley has begun to outline the masterplan for the three institutions. The committee comprises scientists, the ministry's officials, consultants and relevant government agencies.

He said the three proposed institutions will focus on core activities under biotechnology: agro biotechnology; pharmaceutical and nutraceutical; and genomics and molecular biology.

The three institutions will be housed on 24ha of the 80ha site identified for the BioValley project in Dengkil, Selangor. The BioValley project was launched late last year. The remaining area will be allocated to investors interested in setting up research and manufacturing facilities.

However, Mr Leong said that in contrast to requirements under the Multimedia Super Corridor, biotechnology investors need not have to set up their facilities or plants at the BioValley hub.

'They can have their research facilities or plants located in other areas or states.

'In fact, there are plans to set up satellite BioValleys in most of the states. But it is up to the individual state governments to identify the potential and strong areas for the development of biotechnology,' he told MBT.

As an example, Mr Leong said, Penang may want to concentrate on developing marine biotechnology, while Sarawak may be more interested in developing biotechnology in the forestry sector.

'Investors can set up their facilities and plants in other areas, but would still be able to enjoy incentives under the BioValley project, such as 10-year free land rental and pioneer status.

'The BioValley hub can serve as a showroom for them to display their products and the activities can be done elsewhere.'

Mr Leong said state governments are invited to submit their proposals for the setting up of satellite BioValley projects.

So far, the ministry has endorsed only one application from the Penang State Government, which intends to set up a satellite BioValley in Bukit Minyak.

'The ministry is also vetting the submission from the Negri Sembilan State Government, while a proposal from the Sarawak State Government is in the pipeline,' he added.

Targeted to start operations by 2006, the BioValley hub project has attracted some 100 companies, including those from the Netherlands, China, South Korea and Australia, with investments of some RM200 million (S$89.1 million).

Mr Leong said biotechnology is a booming industry and will soon be the 'in' thing. He said the government has allocated RM300 million under the Eighth Malaysia Plan (2001-2005) for the BioValley hub project, but this is considered insufficient.

......we're kinda late but better than never :D

Info on this site

http://www.nbbnet.gov.my/plan.htm


INTRODUCTION

In the 8th Malaysian Plan, MOSTE has proposed the development of three national Institutes specialized in areas of research of national strategic importance. After further study, the Ministry proposes that these Institutes be developed within a Malaysian Biotechnology Cluster, known as BioValley Malaysia, that will best assure the success of the Institutes. Furthermore, formation of the BioValley will accelerate the research and commercialization of technologies critical to the development of Malaysia's regional and global competitiveness.

The BioValley Strategic Plan was developed through a collaboration between the National Biotechnology Directorate and M.I.T., through the Malaysia-M.I.T. Biotechnology Partnership Program (MMBPP). A joint workshop was held during the week of January 29 through February 2, 2001 and included fifty-three Malaysian experts from research institutions, universities, and industry.

The outcome of the workshop is the following Strategic Plan for the formation of BioValley Malaysia.

BioValley Malaysia: Rationale and Goals

BioValley Malaysia represents the best method for enhancing the development of research excellence in Malaysian life science and translating innovation into commercial resources for the Malaysian K-economy. BioValley will integrate existing research resources with new facilities, equipment and human resources that will seed growth and innovation. BioValley will stimulate the growth and application of biotechnology in Malaysia by catalyzing research through the formation of new Institutes and linking Malaysian academic centers to industry.

BioValley will provide the initial assets, a unified strategic plan, and management through the early stages of development to serve as the centerpiece of Malaysia's entry as a global competitor and center of excellence in biotechnology.

BioValley and its Components

Biotech thrives on innovation. The generation and communication of innovative thinking requires a culture of networking, excellence, and initiative. BioValley will be a centralized development area for biotech with incentives for entrepreneurial culture, cooperative development, and collaborations between academic institutions, industry, and investors both within Malaysia and from overseas. BioValley will establish a network of collaboration between Malaysian industry and academic centers of excellence, and will seed innovation by the establishment of three world-class research Institutes containing the state of the art technologies and resources necessary to support top academic science and industrial research.. In addition, BioValley will serve as a 'magnet' for the co-location industrial labs and development facilities and biotechnology startups.

Biotechnology Research Institutes

The core of BioValley Malaysia will consist of three research Institutes, each focusing on a central area of advanced research relevant for converting Malaysian resources into sustainable biotechnology. The National Biotechnology Directorate (BIOTEK) has identified genomics and proteomics, agriculture, and nutraceutical/pharmaceutical technologies as the three most important research priorities. Given the highly specialized nature of each discipline, the Institutes will operate independently while benefiting from the synergies of a centralized administration of common infrastructure.

Benefits of BioValley

The development of BioValley will have many benefits for Malaysia. Foremost will be the economic benefit of new commercial enterprises of high technology that will generate additional revenues and create jobs. The BioValley will spur economic growth as each new company formed will result in new supporting businesses. Research from other countries has shown that every new biotechnology company, four new supporting companies are formed. In addition, each new biotechnology job, 15 jobs in related and supporting industries are created. Thus, the employment generated by BioValley will have a significant impact on economic development nationwide. BioValley will also serve as a magnet for foreign investment, and will bring ideas, technologies, opportunity, and international trade to Malaysia. These results of BioValley will all support the national goal of developing the K-economy through new professional and technical employment.

I've got one friend studying bio-engineering!

Originally posted by hypermount

I've got one friend studying bio-engineering!

wah...that's great! :okay: good future!

One of my aunt is a microbiologist.....she's very rich now! :D

Suddenly senyap :D
Any idea how the buildings will look like? ;)

wah...that's great! :okay: good future!

One of my aunt is a microbiologist.....she's very rich now! :D
your aunt makan gaji or doing bussiness ???

your aunt makan gaji or doing bussiness ???


makan gaji......she's a regional medical director with a well-known pharmaceutical company ;)

Kevin> thinking of taking different course now ah? :D

makan gaji......she's a regional medical director with a well-known pharmaceutical company ;)

wah.. Makan gaji also can become rich..:D so Jlous

Kevin> thinking of taking different course now ah? :D

No lar... still with architecture.... if not Electronic engineering.... :D:D:D:D:D

wah.. Makan gaji also can become rich..:D so Jlous


it is a very loooonnngg process my fren........after she graduated from UM.....she worked for the government at GH for more than 10 years before joining the private sector.....

Not only she's rich by salary....but bonuses and recently the company gave her a BMW! :D (the car belongs to her not the company)

it is a very loooonnngg process my fren........after she graduated from UM.....she worked for the government at GH for more than 10 years before joining the private sector.....

Not only she's rich by salary....but bonuses and recently the company gave her a BMW! :D (the car belongs to her not the company)

wah.. so good.. then soon will give her house too

From The Star

California keen on biotech ventures with Malaysia

THE state of California in the United States is looking to establish more working relationships with Malaysia in biotechnology, an academic said.

Dr Donald Straney, the dean of science at the California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, said Malaysia had a wealth of natural resources which could be developed into downstream biotechnology products.

?The future lies in having bridges in places like Malaysia, which offers vast natural resources and potential workforce,? he said at a seminar on biotechnology initiatives in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Straney said Malaysia was spending a lot of money on biotechnology initiatives and that much could be learnt from California's experience.

California has three biotechnology centres ?in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego ? providing biotechnology scope in pharmaceutical, instruments, medical devices and research.

He said biotech ventures in California mostly started from research with grants provided by the state before moving on to commercialisation aided by venture capital funding. The third phase involves initial public offerings, through which initial investors could exit their investments.

California had 40% of the 6,250 life sciences companies, 49% of all venture capital funding, and 20% of all US life sciences patents, Straney said.

He said, however, the success rate from university research down to commercialisation was very small, at 4%. ?This is the challenge to researchers in universities to really believe in what you do, so that others will be interested in writing a cheque for you,? he added.

He said that even with such low success rates, the growth rates of biotechnology initiatives between 1991 and 2000 had had a tremendous net impact on California's economy.

wah.. so good.. then soon will give her house too


wah car still not enuf ar? :D It is a BMW man!

The Star Online > News
Sunday October 10, 2004

Move forward in healthcare

THE demand for qualified healthcare experts is even greater these days as burgeoning population, pollution and the threat of new diseases become a stark reality.

If you want to help ease the woes people will face now and in the future, consider a career in healthcare. You will be surprised at the many opportunities available in this multi-faceted field.

S.I.T International College is proud to provide quality health sciences degree courses leading to qualifications in pharmacy, biotechnology, and food science & nutrition.

The School of Health Sciences at the college was set up in 1999. The first course offered was the Bachelor of Pharmacy 2+2 course with the University of South Australia (UniSA) in Adelaide.

Next year, the school will introduce two other twinning courses: the Bachelor of Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and the Bachelor of Applied Science (Food Science and Nutrition).

Pharmacy is the science and art of producing drugs and their safe and efficacious use.

It is a career that puts you at the forefront of patient care and offers opportunities for professional advancement with many diverse career pathways as community or hospital pharmacists, or as industrial pharmacists in the pharmaceutical industry.

Biotechnology has been identified as the key to many technological advances in almost every scientific field imaginable such as healthcare, microbiology and agriculture. It involves the application of micro-organisms, plant and animal cells to produce potentially useful products that will benefit society.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the demand for biotechnologists globally. Malaysia is no exception with the launching of the BioValley Malaysia project under the Eighth Malaysia Plan.

The biotechnology programme centres on research and development in designing and discovering new therapeutics and pharmaceuticals, delivery and diagnostic systems, production of drugs, the action of drugs as well as the management and organisation of a biotechnology company.

Graduates with the Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology specialisation have a wide range of career opportunities in biotechnology and pharmaceutical as well as in research institutions.

Food scientists applies knowledge from the integration of knowledge from chemistry, nutrition, microbiology, and engineering to study foods, develop new food products and find better ways to process, preserve, store, handle, package and distribute them.

The entry requirement into the Health Sciences twinning courses is STPM/A-Level/SAM/UEC/SIT?s Foundation Studies or any other equivalent qualifications with Chemistry being a compulsory subject.

The next intake will be in April and registration is now open.

Pay a visit to the college at Level 5, Klang Parade, 2112 Jalan Meru, Klang, Selangor or call for more information at 03-33467172/73. The e-mail address is Christina.Tan@sit.edu.my and the college is online at www.sit.edu.my.

The Star: 27th. October 2004

US company to assist in biotech endeavour

PUTRAJAYA: The Government has appointed a life sciences merchant bank to help it re-examine existing strategies, and compete in the global biotechnology industry.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis said Burrill & Company, which is based in San Francisco in the United States, would present its recommendations to the Prime Minister and him in 30 to 60 days’ time.

“The recommendations will then be incorporated into the country’s national biotech policy, which I will table to the Cabinet in January,” he said, adding that the existing policy did not take into account the needs of all the sectors involved in the industry.

“The industry changes very fast so we need to identify a niche within which Malaysian companies can compete with the rest of the world,” said Dr Jamaluddin.

The firm, he said, would pinpoint certain initiatives by the local biotechnology industry, which could be put on the fast track, and on how Malaysian companies could source for funding.

“Malaysians need to take advantage of our biodiversity,” he said, adding that countries like India, Ireland and even China were fast emerging as important players in the field.

He was talking to reporters after meeting with Burrill & Company chief executive officer G. Steven Burrill at his office yesterday.

Burrill had earlier met with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for 40 minutes when they discussed the country’s biotechnology agenda.

Burrill & Company, focuses exclusively on biotechnology, pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial biotechnology companies.

Burrill said Malaysia had a lot of potential to successfully compete in the industry due to its rich biodiversity and natural riches.

“But what you need is to figure which ideas to focus on and how to exploit it.

“We won’t be looking into coming up with new strategies but rather how to accelerate the growth of the industry in Malaysia,” he said, adding that there were also “immature” capital markets through which local firms could source for funding.

COMMENT: Biotech sector still waiting for start-up
Chow Kum Hor

Feb 19:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite the hype, biotechnology has not taken off in a big way. This, government officials say, is about to change, writes CHOW KUM HOR.
ABOUT three years ago, a Taiwanese investor, taken in by the biotechnology buzz in Malaysia, wanted to make the country a base for his technology-intensive pharmaceutical company.

After all, with affordable labour and a government intent on promoting the biotechnology sector, Malaysia seemed an ideal place to invest in.

But his arrival here was greeted by stonewalling bureaucracy: the Land Office gave him the runaround; Treasury officials were not co-operative and the visa application forms were in Bahasa Malaysia.

Fed up with the red tape, he took his money to Singapore instead. If it was any consolation, the businessman subsequently did set up a plant in Johor producing gelatin capsules for antibiotics.

Malaysia, it appears, is losing out to the republic in biotechnology - a field touted as the next big wave after the information and communications technology revolution.

This is despite the country's stated resolve to jump on the biotechnology bandwagon and stake a claim in the multi-billion ringgit industry.

The Biovalley project is a sorry testament of the country's venture so far into the sector. The 800-hectare Biovalley, located south of Cyberjaya, was originally slated to be the hub for biotechnology companies.

The project was launched by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2003, but even today it remains a plot of undeveloped land with only three companies committed to setting up operations there.

"There is no clear direction of where the country's biotech industry is heading. I think that is one of the main problems," says Malaysian Biotechnology Industry Organisation (MBIO) chairman Datuk Salleh Mohd Noor.

The two-year-old MBIO, set up to represent the biotechnology industry, has about 30 members involved in such fields as biopharmaceutical, oleochemical and food manufacturing.

Industry sources often lament that the lack of a clear direction in the sector has resulted in investors adopting a wait-and-see attitude.

"This a capital-intensive industry. If the Government is not clear on where it wants to go next, the venture capitalists are not willing to part with their money.

"A national policy on biotechnology was supposed to be unveiled last December but it is still not forthcoming," an industry source says.

Without a proper framework, he adds, there is a "hodgepodge approach" on the part of government agencies, often sending investors on a wild goose chase.

"The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry; the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry; the Agriculture Ministry and State-level agencies may all have different views on how a simple tongkat ali extraction plant should be run. Now, that's frustrating."

Datuk Salleh Ismail, chief executive officer of Technology Park Malaysia (TPM) gives another reason; the lack of knowledge workers.

Singapore "imports" the bulk of skilled workforce to its acclaimed Biopolis, the hub for the industry. It is said that up to 40 per cent of them are Malaysians, with the rest from countries like the United States, India and China.

"In Malaysian universities, the students are even struggling with the English language when most of the textbooks in this field are in English," adds the TPM's Salleh.

Malaysia already faces shortages of botanists, taxonomists, zoologists, chemists and experts in medical sciences.

It also does not help that some of the top names in the industry find Singapore a more attractive investment location.

Its Economic Development Board, for example, offers start-up ventures funding of up to S$2 million (RM4.63 million) under its Biomedical Sciences Innovate 'N Create Scheme.

"In Singapore, there is also a host of support services, including waste disposal and outsourcing facilities, besides a pool of talented knowledge workers," a representative from a Singapore-based biomedical company says.

He adds that until Malaysia puts in place this infrastructure, investors will be reluctant to come. For example, businessmen do not want to set up operations and then find they have to invest in waste disposal facilities, which can be expensive.

"Besides, Malaysia does not seem certain about where it going now. They announced the setting up of a Biovalley but it only exists on paper. Businesses don't like this kind of uncertainty."

A check with the Singapore Economic Development Board's homepage revealed that the country attracted some S$850 million (RM1.97 billion) in investments in this sector last year, creating some 1,900 new jobs.

Some of the big names include Pfizer, which last year opened a multi-purpose manufacturing facility, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Denmark-based Ferrosan and German firm Miltenyi Biotec also recently announced plans to set up their regional bases in Singapore.

INS Holdings Bhd founder and chief executive officer Datuk David Yeat says although Malaysia's biotechnology industry has come a long way, there is plenty of room for improvement.

Sharon Low, managing director of Stemlife Sdn Bhd, which offers cord blood banking services, is also concerned about competition from China and India.

"We need to co-operate and share knowledge with the industry leaders there. Their cost base is lower than ours and their workers' skills increasingly higher."

Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC) executive director Kelvin Keh, however, thinks that there is hope.

"It is not a doom-and- gloom situation. We can still catch up with our competitors," says Keh. Mabic, a non-profit organisation, was set up to foster closer relations among the stakeholders in the industry.

Science Advisor to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Zaharudin Idrus is aware that expectations have been running high for the Government to make public its policy on biotechnology.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has also said biotechnology will be the driving force in the country's agricultural growth.

Ahmad Zaharudin adds that the National Biotechnology Policy is expected to be unveiled by June. "It will be tailored to suit our strength which is agriculture. Essentially, the industry will be market-driven, with the private sector playing an important role."

He adds that a lot of research needs to be done, whether to boost yields or come up with crops resistant to certain viruses.

Citing padi as an example, Ahmad Zaharudin says little research has been done on the plant's genome - a study that, among others, can help scientists understand better how to increase its yield.

"We have rich fauna and flora but not enough studies have been done. There are already indications that some plants have active anti-cancer ingredients. They include pegaga and turmeric," he says.

He adds that for the industry to soar, the Government has to go beyond providing the hardware.

There must be support services. Marketing strategies need to be mapped out, the shortage of knowledge workers needs to be addressed and a team of qualified managers must be trained.

Ahmad Zaharudin is optimistic that in five years the industry will boom, with an estimated RM10 billion to RM20 billion being pumped in by foreign investors.

MBIO's Salleh is more cautious. He says the policy must be followed through and the targets met.

"Otherwise, all this talk of Malaysia being a biotechnology hub will amount to nothing. And we cannot allow this to happen."

News : Systems & Networking : Article

New biotech research lab to open in M'sia
By Cordelia Lee, CNETAsia
Thursday, March 31 2005 12:39 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--InfoValley Life Sciences and Oracle Malaysia plans to jointly set up a laboratory specializing in research and development work in computational biology and bioinformatics.

The new facility is slated to be ready by the second half of this year and will be located in Cyberjaya, a site that has been described as Malaysia's answer to Silicon Valley in San Francisco.

InfoValley and Oracle signed a partnership agreement this week to develop and deploy technologies for bioscience education, biotechnology research and the advancement of life sciences industry. A Biotechnology Steering Team is currently being established to drive joint bioinformatics initiatives for both local and global markets.

Mathavan A. Chandran, chief executive office of InfoValley, said the new lab will provide an avenue to spur new discoveries which can be transferred into viable and marketable bioinformatics applications and solutions. The company develops products for the life sciences industry and academia, specializing in the areas of data management, data analysis and data mining.

Mathavan explained that research institutions, whether they are universities or multinational corporations, are increasingly focused on using converged technologies to improve efficiencies and provide value-add.

"The convergence of multi-disciplinary biosciences with infocomm technology is expected to form a completely new discipline with 'melting disciplinary' traits in the areas of biotechnology, computational biology and bioinformatics,” he said.

The alliance with Oracle will enable InfoValley’s customers to run pilot projects on Oracle Database 10g. Clients such as the Malaysian Institute of Medical Research and National Institute for Natural Products, Vaccinology and Biologicals, are already running such tests.

Malaysia's Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Seri Jamaludin Jarjis, also revealed during the launch that his government is currently revisiting some of the policies and infrastructure to spur the growth of biotechnology in the country. It is understood that Malaysia’s National Biotech policy will be launched next month at Bio Malaysia 2005.

Business News »


Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 28 April 2005 1254 hrs

Malaysia launches major biotechnology drive

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia : Malaysia Thursday announced tax breaks and other incentives to encourage investment in biotechnology, seen as one of the key drivers of the country's development.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced the establishment of the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation under a council headed by himself, which will identify and assist good value ventures.



"The Malaysian government has recognised the importance of biotechnology for some time now," he told the opening session of a BioMalaysia 2005 conference in the administrative capital of Putrajaya.

"We see it as one of the key drivers of the country's development, now and for the future."

Noting that in biotechnology "the journey between discovery to cashflow is a long one, sometimes longer than the patience of conventional private sector investors," he pledged strong government support.

"The Malaysian government commits itself today to undertake the role of developer and catalyst of the country's biotechnology sector," he said in a speech announcing a national biotech policy.

Abdullah outlined nine "thrusts" of the policy, the first three of which aim to "shift the country's agriculture, healthcare and manufacturing sectors to the high-tech stage."

Others include the establishment of "biotechnology centres of excellence" for research and the application of "competitive 'lab to market' funding and incentives to encourage committed participation from academia and the private sector, including government-linked companies."

The government would provide matching grants for biotech research and development and commercialisation, including financial support in patent application.

"To encourage biotechnology investment from private sector corporations, the government is offering 100 percent group tax relief or deduction on qualifying investments in biotechnology," he said.

To increase access to funds for biotech companies, "venture capital participation will be strengthened and entry to the capital markets will be enhanced (to allow for) the special characteristics of biotech companies with its long gestation periods and higher risk profiles."

Abdullah said he was determined "to make Malaysia a key player on the world's biotech and life sciences stage" but he was also realistic in acknowledging that the country was a new and small entrant in the global business. - AFP /dt

Mardi To Provide 500 Scientists For Agriculture Biotechnology
April 28, 2005 22:18 PM



PUTRAJAYA, April 28 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (Mardi) will initially provide 500 researchers and scientists for agricultural biotechnology research, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Thursday.

He said the move was in line with Mardi's human capital development and in realising the National Biotechnology Policy.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, when unveiling the National Biotechnology Policy Thursday, named Mardi and Universiti Putra Malaysia as the biotechnology centres of excellence in the agriculture sector.

It was an honour for Mardi and the ministry would intensify efforts to develop the agriculture sector, Muhyiddin told reporters after the function.

Meanwhile, Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said Melaka hoped to lead in the food, health and medical fields of the biotechnology industry.

He said the state hoped to produce vaccine and antibiotics from natural resources and a company, Syarikat Bioteknologi Melaka, had been formed to encourage entrepreneurs to use biotechnology in their business endeavours.

-- BERNAMA

About BioMalaysia 2005


http://www.mosti.gov.my/biomalaysia2005/barmight2.png


Biotechnology has been identified as a new engine of growth for Malaysia. It is envisioned that biotechnology will be able to improve the quality of life, generate new wealth and income for both rural and urban population and improve the socio-economic status of the people as a whole.

The country’s rich flora and fauna provide a potentially rich reservoir of natural resources for healthcare applications, agri-food production and clean environment solutions. Together with manufacturing excellence and adaptable human capital, Malaysia offers great potential for strategic partnerships, international investment opportunities, agro-biotech business development and pharmaceutical discoveries.

Organised by MOSTI, BioMalaysia 2005 is an excellent platform for Malaysia to share and solicit ideas on harnessing the potential of biotechnology for the nation’s prosperity, healthcare and wellness. Incorporating Conference, Showcase and Business Networking, BioMalaysia 2005 is a strategic focal point for biotechnology industry players, government officials, researchers, financiers and academia to meet and update themselves on the latest industry trends, technologies and discoveries, besides networking and exploring the vast business opportunities that biotechnology offers. The main highlight of the event will be the launching of National Biotechnology Policy by the Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi

BIOTECHNOLOGY IN MALAYSIA
Last Updated ( Saturday, 23 April 2005 )
http://portal.might.org.my/bio2005/index.php



The Malaysian Biotechnology Agenda stresses the development of a Biotech Science & Business Accelerator Program to encourage the establishment of Biotechnology industry and Biotech related services.

Today, of particular importance are the bio-pharmaceutical and bio-medicine sub-sectors, hence Malaysia's emphasis is on efforts to establish itself as bio-CRO as well the CMO centre for Asia. In meeting this goal, emphasis on center of drug discovery collaborations, toolbox development, bioprocess engineering, equipment and instrumentation development, and personalized medicine. Also high on the list of priorities is the convergence of Biotech and ICT, that has spur the development of many skills in computing and computational biology.

These efforts are backed by a strong and comprehensive funding mechanism, alongside strong joint collaborative research and attachment of scientists, as well as strategic investments in global companies. These initiatives all aim at completion the biotechnology value-chain of related services that encompasses cross-sector relationships between biotechnology, information, communication and technology and the conventional industries such as agriculture, health, marine and forestry.

Our efforts are further strengthened by Legislative and Regulatory framework, which will see to the construction of an adequate IP legal framework to encompass the 4 major categories of IP protection in Malaysia - Patent Copyrights, Industrial Designs, Trademarks and Trade Secrets.

Succintly, Biotechnology in Malaysia today will see to:

1. The recognition of the cross-sector benefits brought about by advancement in biotechnology.
2. Development of niche areas in bio-pharmaceutical and bio-medicine sub-sectors.
3. Incentives programs to stimulate biotechnology take-up
4. Industry Development and Biotechnology Related Services.
5. Funding and Financial Structures
6. Special purpose entrusted agency for Biotechnology development.

PM Wants Biotech Projects To Benefit Rural Folk - Dr Jamaludin
April 30, 2005 19:32 PM



PUTRAJAYA, April 30 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has directed biotechnology-based projects must benefit all Malaysians, including the rural community.

He had also instructed the projects should not be monopolised by certain groups, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said at the BioMalaysia 2005 exhibition Centre Saturday.

Earlier, he launched "Stevian" - a natural sweetener extracted from Stevia leaves. The leaves are imported from China and processed at the Labu Technology Park in Negeri Sembilan.

The product is expected to enter the market next month.

Stevia plants are said to be rich in low-calorie sweeteners and numerous phyto-nutrients, volatile oils, minerals, vitamins, proteins and fibres.

Today, it is consumed by millions of people from its native origins of Paraguay and Brazil to Japan, South Korea, China, India, Taiwan, Russia and the United States.

In view of this, Dr Jamaludin said his ministry planned to have Stevia planted in this country, especially in rural areas in the east coast states.

Probably, a similar approach would be taken to plant Stevia here like what had been done for oil palm, he said.

"The ministry will discuss with state governments on the locations and ask the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (Mardi) to carry out studies on land and climate suitability," he said.

He also said the ministry would send a bigger delegation to the World Biotechnology Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia in June.

"In Philadelphia, we will market Malaysia as one of the world's biotechnology destinations." he said.

The ministry would rope in government agencies involved in the industry and the private sector to promote their biotechnologies at the event, he said.

When Malaysia attended the previous event, it had yet to launch its National Biotechnology Policy, he said.

"At that time, the prime minister saw what is biotechnology and what it does for the world. After that, maybe he had an inspiration for Malaysia to venture into the biotechnology sector," he added.

-- BERNAMA