SAINS@USM PENANG, 3 September 2024 – “Innovation is no longer just an option, it's a necessity in today's world. Academia must rise to this challenge. We often hear the phrase ‘Publish or Perish,’ but we need to shift that mindset to ‘Innovate or Perish.’”

This was said by the Director of the Centre for Innovation and Consultation (CIC) Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Professor Ir. Dr. Srimala Sreekantan) during her welcoming speech at the USM-MRANTI Supercharger Penang 2024, representing the USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation, Professor Dr. Habibah A Wahab.

Held at SAINS@USM, the programme was co-organised by the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI).

The programme brought together researchers, university start-ups, spin-off companies, and industry partners from the Northern Region to interact and engage with visionary researchers, inventors, and like-minded individuals, all of whom are passionate about advancing technology.

In her speech, Srimala emphasised that innovation thrives in environments where ideas can connect. It requires support from academia, entrepreneurs, funding agencies, industries, and other stakeholders to create an ecosystem that guides ideas and proof of concepts (POCs) towards commercialisation.

“Let us take the knowledge, connections, and inspiration we've gained here and apply them to drive our ideas forward, making a real impact on the nation," she said.

“Innovation is the key to our future. Let's continue to collaborate, create, and challenge ourselves to turn our visions into reality.”

“I look forward to see the incredible achievements that will emerge from this gathering,” Srimala added.

The three-day programme included the Road-to-Commercialisation (R2C) Bootcamp, designed for researchers and innovation teams at the pre-commercialisation stage.

Participants sought essential knowledge, tools, and strategies to bring their products and services to market.

Through a combination of interactive workshops, expert-led sessions, and hands-on activities, the Supercharger R2C Bootcamp empowered teams to define their value proposition, validate their target market, address intellectual property and regulatory considerations, and develop launch strategies for their innovations.

The programme also featured a forum session titled "Fireside Chat: Back to the Future," where expert speakers shared their insights.

Among the speakers were representative from the USM School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Associate Professor Dr. Wan Mohd Yusof Rahiman; Founder and Managing Director of Fulkrum Interactive Media Sdn. Bhd., Mohd Izzat Muslim; and Principal Engineer at Intel, Ong Soon Ee; all of which moderated by MRANTI’s Partnership Innovation Development, Ecosystem Division official, Fikri Ashraf.

Text: Nur Farrah Ezlin Mohd Suhaimi, CIC/Photo: Shahnizam Ab Rahim