By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, Aug 11: Minister of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn asserts that a culture of innovation can propel the socio-economic growth of communities and nations.
Sagah stated this today before declaring open the “Seminar on Science, Technology, and Innovation: Policies, Facilities, and Way Forward for Sarawak” programme at a local hotel here.
“Innovation is not restricted to physical items or machines, it also takes place to improve processes and services.
“Encouraging innovation in businesses and services also gives us a competitive edge to meet the needs of our clients’ with forward-thinking solutions.
“Hence we need to identify how we can create an environment which fosters research and innovation,” he said.
He noted that the seminar is timely because the recent global pandemic and its economic effects have demonstrated how science, technology, and innovation have been critical in addressing the challenges that people have faced since 2020.
Sagah also welcomed the participation of federal agencies such as Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation Malaysia (MOSTI), Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM), Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia (YIM) and Sirim Berhad, all of which have experience in driving innovation in Malaysia, not just among science and technology based researchers, but also in social innovation.
“They will share with us current guiding policies at the federal level as well as funds, facilities, and services available,” he disclosed.
The seminar’s objectives include providing updates on federal and Sarawak government policies, frameworks, strategies, and funding opportunities for science, technology and innovation, as well as to provide a platform for Sarawak stakeholders to network with both federal and Sarawak agencies. — DayakDaily
