Malaysia’s PM Najib: Moving forward with innovation; Innovation is what drives progress and the potential for our nation to profit from it is huge

Friday January 4, 2013

Moving forward with innovation

By Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

Innovation is what drives progress and the potential for our nation to profit from it is huge.

IT is just four days into January, so I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Many people are probably trying to uphold the various New Year resolutions they have made. I know this is hard and I wish them every success in implementing their pledges. Over the years, I have learnt that the way to keep a resolution is to take it seriously, prioritise and dedicate time and effort to the task in hand.

The same is true of government policy. Things don’t just happen by themselves there is a lot of blood, sweat and tears involved in implementing reforms.

A key policy of our government is turning Malaysia into a nation focused on innovation you could call this my ongoing “resolution”.

Indeed, one of the focuses of this year’s Budget is “Inculcating Inno-vation, Increasing Productivity”.

You may well ask whether there are more immediate and tangible matters that the Government should be addressing. As in any country, we have problems and priorities that require focused attention and swift action. But we must also make time for longer-term goals and fostering an “innovative nation” is one of them.

Innovation is one of the driving forces behind a modern high-income economy. Coming up with new ideas and products and bringing them successfully to market not only makes our businesses more competitive, it also makes our economy stronger and more able to compete in the global marketplace.

The world is constantly seeking newer and better technologies.

In this new era of high tech and information-driven economies, we cannot underestimate the importance of cultivating a healthy mind-set geared towards generating fresh ideas and an economic and social environment that stimulates them. Innovation is what drives progress, and the potential for our nation to profit from it is huge.

This is why we have put in place initiatives to create an environment that supports innovators and entrepreneurs: for example, we have introduced new tax breaks for “angel investors” who put money into start-up companies, while the Intellectual Property Financing Fund helps young companies use their ideas as collateral for financing.

These policies are already making a tangible difference: this year, the Government launched several new products developed under the “Innovation Business Opportunities” programme, ranging from new diabetic foods to a rice cooker that automatically drains excess starch.

When it comes to innovation, Malaysia is doing well. But we must not be complacent. Encouraging innovation should be a moving target because we can always do better.

I am sure that, as I write this article, there are many budding ideas out there in the minds of the rakyat. If you have an idea you think has potential, share it with Agensi Inovasi Malaysia at www.innovation.my. I look forward to seeing what the next generation of innovators comes up with.

Najib Tun Razak’s, Prime Minister of Malaysia, commentary is part of the Ignite column series in support of innovation in Malaysia.

Wednesday February 6, 2013

SME Corp’s innovation target

By INTAN FARHANA ZAINUL and CHERYL POO

It expects to award 1-innoCERT certifications to 50 SMEs

KUALA LUMPUR: SME Corp Malaysia is expecting 50 local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to be certified with the 1-Innovation Certification for Enterprise Rating and Transformation (1-InnoCERT) by year-end.

“The 1-InnoCERT is a certification programme adapted from the Korean Innobiz model. Its core functions are to identify, certify and recognise innovative SMEs through stringent and vigorous certification processes to enable SME Corp to provide more efficient assistance, customised to the needs of the SME,” its chairman Datuk Dr Mohamed Al Amin Abdul Majid said at the soft launch of the SME Innovation Award 2013 yesterday.

The programme was incepted in 2010 with 1-InnoCERT-qualified SMEs eligible to participate in the SME Innovation Award programme, which rewards the Top Most Innovative SME with RM1mil cash. The entry fee is RM5,000.

Companies will be evaluated based on their technological innovation, commercialisation and innovation management abilities as well as their technological innovation results. The certification also measures the rate at which local companies integrate innovation into their business practices.

SME Corp plans to organise five awareness workshops nationwide from now until the end of next month to guide interested SMEs on the application process.

The online assessment on 1-InnoCERT will close by end-March.

To date, 17 new applications have registered with the programme.

As at December 2012, 115 firms had received the 1-InnoCERT, with 46% of them being bumiputra firms.

SMEs certified under this programme will benefit from the Green Lane Policy, a government initiative to acknowledge the contribution of competitive and innovative local SMEs under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

The benefits include priority access to government procurement, financial facilities and tax incentives.

“The 1-InnoCERT programme complements one of the six high-impact programmes of the SME Masterplan designed to remove market barriers and provide targeted and tailored assistance to potential high-growth SMEs,” Mohamed said.