Rebecca PY MRANTI gathered over 400 industry leaders, investors and ecosystem partners to explore how mission-driven initiatives can accelerate innovation and technology commercialisation in Malaysia. The session highlighted the role of MRANTI Park as a living innovation platform connecting research, industry and capital.
MALAYSIA, 12 MARCH 2026 – The Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) brought together more than 400 industry leaders, investors, developers and ecosystem partners for an industry engagement session titled Building What’s Next: #WinningTogether at MRANTI Park.
The session focused on how Malaysia can accelerate innovation and commercialisation by strengthening collaboration among industry players, researchers and investors through Mission Driven Initiatives (MDI). The approach aims to align technological innovation with national priorities and real-world challenges.
Aligned with the priorities of Rancangan Malaysia Ke-13 (RMK13), MRANTI is promoting a mission-driven innovation strategy that integrates research, technology development and industry deployment. Key focus areas include healthcare, sustainable cities, future mobility, food security and climate resilience.
At the centre of this effort is MRANTI Park, which serves as a real-world platform where emerging technologies can be developed, tested and scaled in partnership with industry players.
Spanning 686 acres in Bukit Jalil, MRANTI Park is one of Southeast Asia’s largest integrated innovation hubs. The park currently hosts more than 150 technology companies and institutions and supports a growing community of over 30,000 knowledge workers. Its infrastructure includes drone testing zones, autonomous vehicle lanes and a 5G-enabled technology hub designed to support advanced technology development.
These facilities allow new technologies to move beyond laboratory research into real-world testing environments, helping address the innovation gap often referred to as the Valley of Death between research and commercial adoption.
According to Ashran Ghazi, Malaysia has strong research capabilities and a growing pool of innovation talent, but greater collaboration between research institutions, industry and investors is needed to translate innovation into economic value.
He explained that MRANTI Park is designed to provide a collaborative environment where technologies can be developed, tested and scaled together with industry partners.
Through its Mission Driven Initiatives, MRANTI is already working with ecosystem partners to develop solutions that address national priorities. Early initiatives taking shape at MRANTI Park include the Integrated Healthcare Cluster aimed at advancing medical technologies, the Drone Living Lab known as AREA 57 supporting autonomous aerial technologies, and the Autonomous Vehicle Experience Lab enabling real-world testing of future mobility solutions.
These initiatives demonstrate how research can transition into practical applications when government, academia and industry collaborate within a shared innovation environment.
As these initiatives grow, MRANTI plans to evolve MRANTI Park into a mission-driven Innovation District. Unlike traditional technology parks, innovation districts integrate research institutions, businesses, startups, talent and investors in a mixed-use environment that encourages collaboration and accelerates technology commercialisation.
During the engagement session, MRANTI also introduced upcoming opportunities for industry participation through a Request for Proposal programme that will support the next phase of MRANTI Park’s development.
The programme will invite participation from property developers, technology companies, ecosystem builders, venture capital firms and investors. Proposed development opportunities include innovation campuses, applied research facilities, AI and digital technology clusters, as well as pilot zones and shared innovation spaces designed for technology testing and collaboration.
MRANTI is encouraging organisations that share its long-term vision for innovation to participate in the upcoming RFP process, attend briefing sessions and explore potential collaboration opportunities.
As MRANTI Park evolves into an innovation district, future developments may also include complementary facilities such as retail, hospitality, residential and wellness spaces to support the broader innovation ecosystem while maintaining the park’s core focus on technology and research.
Through continued engagement with industry leaders, investors and ecosystem partners, MRANTI aims to strengthen collaboration across technology, industry and capital communities while reinforcing Malaysia’s position as a regional hub for innovation and technology commercialisation.