Soon-to-be-rebranded MRANTI to focus on 

dronetech & robotics, healthtech, agritech, autonomous vehicle

The Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI), which is in the midst of a rebranding exercise, has listed autonomous tech, life sciences, sustainability, 5G connectivity and 4IR (fourth industrial revolution) technology as its focus areas. Under the autonomous tech, dronetech and robotics, autonomous vehicle will be in focus. HealthTech, AgriTech/BioTech come under the life sciences category, according to MRANTI Chief Executive Officer Dr. Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff. For 5G connectivity, MRANTI is the National Testbed of 5G Innovation and MRANTI is also embracing sustainability-driven technologies as its overarching theme for technological focus. 

“MRANTI has been mandated as the agency to address national food security issues using 4IR technologies,”Rais told reporters after a media tour at MRANTI Park. 

He said billions of ringgit has been spent to import food products such as vegetables, meat and others.

Food security issues can be addressed through technology and innovations, he said, adding that the country hopes to learn from Qatar which is seen to have “reinvented” the country from importing most of their fresh produce to now exporting some of these food products. 

Reducing imports can also help to lend support ringgit currency which has been depreciating, he added. Rais also shared that MRANTI’s mission is to accelerate the development of demand-driven R&D in technology and innovation across the industries to address national and global challenges. 

Its vision is to accelerate demand-driven R&D in technology – to position Malaysia as an innovation nucleus advancing towards a leading technology producer nation.

MRANTI, a convergence of Technology Park Malaysia (TPM Corp) and the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Center (MaGIC), is Malaysia’s central research commercialization agency that fast-tracks the development of technology innovations from ideas to impact. MRANTI serves as a connector, incubator and catalyst to enable early-stage ideation to mature entities to commercialize and scale. 

The agency offers innovators and industry access to world-class integrated infrastructure, programs, services, facilities and a suite of resources. 

In doing so, MRANTI aims to expand Malaysia’s funnel of innovation supply, and unlock new R&D value by ensuring effective transitions in the commercialization lifecycle. 

It will also link academia with industry and the public sector to streamline market-driven R&D efforts for mission-based outcomes.

MRANTI is headquartered at MRANTI Park, an extensive 686 acre 4IR innovation hub in Kuala Lumpur, supporting the growth of smart manufacturing, biotech, agritech, smart city, green tech and enabling technology clusters.