MTDC urges Bumiputera graduates to commercialise R&D products

MTDC Chief Executive Officer Datuk Norhalim Yunus said the funds, to be channelled through MTDC's Commercialisation of Research & Development Fund (CRDF), aim to promote commercialisation of locally developed technologies by students of local universities and at research institutions.

"Another objective of the programme is to increase the number of companies with new knowledge and skills," he told Bernama after being interviewed on Bernama Radio's ‘Dalam Radar’ programme.

Norhalim said the Symbiosis 3.0 programme, which focuses on Bumiputera graduates of local and foreign higher institutions of learning including universities, polytechnics and community colleges, follows the success of the Symbiosis 1.0 and Symbiosis 2.0 programes.

He said the programme's mentor-mentee concept assures hand-holding of prospective entrepreneurs by MTDC and the Office of Technology Licensing/Technology Transfer.

The programme's duration is from six months to one year, depending on the performance of the entrepreneur, he said.

"More than 100 graduate have applied for the funding, but only 30 are eligible to receive the funds," he said.

Norhalim said although many young entrepreneurs now conduct their businesses over the Internet, not all businesses can use the online platform, especially those in agricultural research.

MTDC, a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Bhd, was earlier reported as saying it targets to disburse RM45 million to technology-based companies within the last three months of 2016.

The financing will be channelled via its six funds -- CRDF, Technology Acquisition Fund (TAF), Business Start-up Fund (BSF), Business Growth Fund (BGF), Bumiputera Expansion Fund (BEF) and Halal Technology Development Fund.