BY SAARANI VENGADESEN
THE Selangor Biotechnology Action Plan 2021-2030, a headway project was launched by the Selangor state government through Invest Selangor Berhad (ISB) as an initiative to drive and strengthen the biotechnology sector in Selangor.
The action plan was officiated by Selangor Crown Prince Tengku Amir Shah ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on the side-lines of the 5th Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) on 18 Nov 18.
Selangor has added this flagship project under its belt to make itself the regional biotechnology hub for innovation, technology dissemination, investment and human capital development.
This action plan sets the momentum for biotechnology applications to perk up the bioeconomy sector since it is seen as an emerging driver in the state and has the high potential to become the new economic growth of Selangor. The Selangor gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019 was RM 344.5 billion, which is 24.2 % of the national GDP. Annual GDP growth of Selangor in 2019 as at 607 %, higher than the national GDP growth (4.3%).
[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”block” ihc_mb_who=”unreg” ihc_mb_template=”3″ ]The formulation of the action plan was a collaborative work between University Putra Malaysia (UPM), Bioeconomy Corporation and Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC) as they were appointed by ISB as consultants for policy paper development of the Selangor Biotechnology Action Plan 2021-2030.
The action plan consists of 5 strategic thrusts, 10 goals, 43 initiatives and 35 action plans. The five strategic thrusts are effective governance and leadership, enabling R&D and Infrastructure, sustainable investment & funding, talent enhancement and professional development, biotechnology sector development.
Deputy Dean (Industry and Community Relations), Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences (FBSB), UPM, Prof. Ts. Dr. Hidayah Ariffin, who is also the Consultancy Project Manager, said the selection of UPM as a consultant was a recognition to UPM lecturers.
“Selangor has the vision to make the biotechnology sector the main driver of the economy. The Selangor Biotechnology Action Plan 2021-2030 establishes biotechnology-related governance to decide policies, implement and monitor strategies and initiatives for the biotechnology sector in Selangor,” she said.
Inputs for the development of the Selangor Biotechnology Action Plan 2021-2030 were obtained from the findings from the field survey, gap analysis and benchmarking analysis, as well as the views from the stakeholders collated at various deliberations.
“It was an honour for the Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC) to be entrusted with this huge responsibility to craft the way forward to build a robust biotech industry in Selangor. As a strong biotech advocate, I am really excited to be part of this journey that will contribute to GDP, employment opportunities and the development of homegrown technologies. I wish to see the empowerment of local research institutes and companies to be strong global players. MABIC is here to support and advocate the initiatives”, said Datin Dr Mahaletchumy Arujanan, Executive Director, Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC).
This policy serves as a paradigm shift that would allow Selangor to embrace the new outlook and image of a state that balances its efforts in maximising industry production output with the utilisation of sustainable resources and care for the environment. Global concerns on environmental challenges, including climate change, resource scarcity, food loss and waste, biodiversity loss have encouraged the shift from a fossil-based economy to a bio-based and renewable economy. Biotechnology application plays a key role in allowing economies to continue meeting consumer demands without compromising a low carbon footprint and the sustainability of biological resources.
“The Selangor Biotechnology Action Plan is an exciting effort to consolidate the diverse bio-based resources they have including the huge talent pool from the large concentration of top IHLs and training centres in the state. I hope that the plan will open critical avenues for aligning the focus of universities and training facilities to the biotech industry”, said Prof Dr Rofina Yasmin Othman, Advisor UM office of Industry & Community Engagement during the panel discussion to discuss the action plan and how different stakeholders could leverage on it.
The implementation of the action plan anticipates accelerating homegrown technology, job creation, talent retention, precision medicine, utilisation of local resources and benefits SMEs, farmers and Selangor citizens in the next 10 years.
“We need to train local players to incorporate Internet of Things (IoT), big data and artificial intelligence in their value chain to be ready for future demand. Many years ago, customer service was a just call centre in a company to provide solutions for customers but now customer service serves is a bridge between the end-user and the company. Thus, digitalisation has to be incorporated by local players for them to emerge as key industry players”, urged Wan Amir Jeffery bin Wan Abdul Majid, Chief Operating Officer, Duopharma Biotech Berhad.
He proposed that Selangor state should identify their strength and choose one or two industries such as vaccines, “Halal” or agriculture to champion in the next 10 years. He also said Selangor should create success stories for a few top priority areas in a shorter span of time instead of stretching themselves thin in attempting all areas where progress might be slower.
“Positioning Selangor as a biotechnology hub is very important as the most advanced state in Malaysia. Rebranding has to be done for big companies that venture into biotechnology activities. For instance, companies involved in food production and now moving towards plant-based products has to be rebranded as a biotechnology company. This issue has to be addressed if Selangor state foresees biotechnology as their flagship project”, stressed Rofina.[/ihc-hide-content]
