PlatCOM InnoZine Issue 1

Transcription

July - September 2014
Contents
PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn Bhd (1079744-P)
Advisor
: Dr. Viraj Perera
Editor
: Biruntha Mooruthi
Subscriptions:
Agensi Inovasi Malaysia,
3501, Level 3, Quill Building 3,
Jalan Teknokrat 5, 63000 Cyberjaya,
Malaysia
E-mail: info@platcomventures.com
Tel: (603) 8319 3116 / Fax: (603) 8319 3499
www.innovation.my
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Annette John
Manager, Publishing Operations, Southeast Asia & Hong Kong
Preghaladhan Vizia Balakrishnan
Senior Legal Editor
Maria Ahamad
Design & Production
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Marketing & Advertising
William Quek (william.quek@lexisnexis.com)
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PlaTCOM InnoZine is the official publication of PlaTCOM Ventures, published
quarterly in collaboration with LexisNexis Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
This newsletter is written as a general guide only. It is not intended to contain
definitive legal advice, which should be sought as appropriate in relation to
any particular matter. The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed
by the authors are theirs alone, and do not reflect the views, opinions,
positions or strategies of PlaTCOM Ventures or any employee thereof. All
users are permitted to view the content of this newsletter, without prejudice
to the intellectual property rights belonging to PlaTCOM Ventures. However,
any unauthorised reproduction, duplication, transmission or alteration, in any
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all or any of its contents herein, for commercial and/or personal gain, profit
or sale.
Editor’s Message
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Foreword from CEO of AIM
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About PlaTCOM
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Lifestyle
Article 1
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Article 2
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Article 3
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Article 4
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Article 5
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Hot Picks
Article 1
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Article 2
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Article 3
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Article 4
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Article 5
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Events
Article 1
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Article 2
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Article 3
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Article 4
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Article 5
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Interviews
Article 1
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Article 2
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© 2014 All rights reserved.
Enquiries on advertising:
William Quek – william.quek@lexisnexis.com
Article contribution:
PlaTCOM Ventures welcomes letters, articles, views and news (including
photographs) for possible inclusion in this newsletter. However, PlaTCOM
Ventures reserves the right not to publish or to edit those published for
content, clarity, style and space considerations. Contributions and enquiries
may be directed to info@platcomventures.com.
www.platcomventures.com
01
Editor’s Message
From the Editor In-Chief
innovation distinguished between leaders and followers
in the recent past, today it increasingly differentiates
between survivors and the barely breathing. Innovation
is the new Darwinism in business. It is no longer “survival
of the fittest”; it is rather “survival of the most innovative.”
The aim of PlaTCOM InnoZine is to offer a lifestyle
magazine for innovative businesses and knowledge
creators such as universities, research institutes and
a variety of other organisations that businesses rely
on in attracting new knowledge, new technology and
expertise to innovate. In this respect we strive to
entertain our readers with articles relating to “Innovation
Lifestyle” while also providing technology “Hot Picks”
for relevant businesses to consider engulfing. The
“Events” section reveals recent events in the innovation
and commercialisation space. The interviews section
portrays discussions with distinguished innovators from
academia and industry with regards to their inventions.
A great teacher of mine once told me that change is the
only constant in life. This certainly holds true in every
aspect of our lives. It is a fast-paced world with constant
flux of change ensuing in every corner. Businesses
strive to find new strategies and ways to dominate their
markets. With the rapidly changing technological realm,
companies are faced with a great many options of how
to grow their business. Complacency has killed far too
many corporates. This means that enterprises that have
been around for a long time as well as those that are
new to the game need to change to adopt new advances
and improve their own product and service portfolios.
How companies choose to conduct business in a fastpaced world falls under the topic of innovation – “open
innovation” indeed.
Some time ago, Steve Jobs was quoted as saying,
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower”
and that statement has never been more meaningful than
it is today. At a time when even the most basic elements of
business success are being questioned, reassessed and
redefined, one thing becomes crystal clear - innovation is
no longer a “nice to have”, it’s a “must have.” It’s what we
call the “innovation imperative” or “innovate or perish”. If
I would like to convey a few words of thanks; I must say
that PlaTCOM Ventures is an inspiring collaboration
between Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) and SME
Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp). As such, I first want
to acknowledge our collaborator SME Corporation
Malaysia and would like to convey my heartfelt thanks
to Dato’ Hafsah Hashim (CEO, SME Corp) and Ms.
Karunajothi Kandasamy (Senior Director of Economics
and Policy Planning, SME Corp) for their incredible
support and encouragement. I am also very grateful
to Mr. Mark Rozario (CEO, AIM) and Mr. Naser Jaafar
(COO, AIM) for their insightful guidance, support and
leadership in making PlaTCOM Ventures – and hence
PlaTCOM InnoZine - a reality. Furthermore, thanks to our
writers and to you, our first readers, for making it all real.
I welcome you to the premiere issue of PlaTCOM InnoZine
and I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to drop us a line anytime
with your thoughts, questions, comments, and feedback
at info@platcomventures.com. Alternatively, please visit
our website at www.platcomventures.com for a digital
copy of this magazine or to join our dedicated PlaTCOM
InnoZine blog.
Dr. Viraj Perera
Editor/Executive Director
03
Searching for the Next Big Thing
manufactured in China and the raw materials may be
sourced from such places all over the world, but the bulk
of the money you pay for each unit goes to the people
who came up with and own the rights to the concepts,
designs and software at the Apple HQ in Cupertino, CA.
Malaysia is not short of brilliant inventors, scientists and
researchers, and our R&D facilities rank way up there
with the best. Yet a lot of our research work does not
result in products that end up in the hands of consumers
or solutions that address industry and society’s needs, so
evidently there’s a gap in how we’ve been doing things,
and there’s an urgent need to correct this.
Since its inception in 2010, Agensi Inovasi Malaysia
(AIM) has initiated many programmes to fill this gap
and raise the innovation levels in local R&D institutions,
academia, industry, government agencies as well as the
population. Focusing on improving the innovation ecosystem and encouraging R&D rooted in solving industry
needs, AIM’s initiatives are geared towards creating
wealth – be it economic, intellectual or social – for the
country, via innovation.
When was the last time you were completely blown away
by a new invention? If you’re active on social media and
follow the latest tech trends and lifestyle magazines, it
probably was quite recent. With the many new products
being developed and launched every day by tech giants,
start-ups and enterprising individuals globally, it’s hard
to keep track of the latest wearable, gears, apps, tools,
nifty futuristic gadgets as well as new technologies which
serve to make life easier and better.
However, when was the last time you were mesmerized,
excited and inspired by a Malaysian invention?
Look around you right now – it’d be quite a challenge to
find a remarkable Malaysian innovation being used by
the average person. From the devices and apps we use
to the cars we drive, as well as the things we wear – most
have roots in Korea, the US, Europe, Japan or the UK.
Sure, they may be produced here in Malaysia, but the
original idea and the IP are most probably foreign.
Herein lies the issue – real wealth does not come from
manufacturing a product; instead, the real money goes
to the intellectual property owner. The iPhone may be
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There are certainly many things that need fixing in order
to bring us to where we need to be. From improving
our education system to increasing the capacity of our
workforce, from changing the mind set of Malaysians to
tackling the inefficiency and the ineffectiveness of some
of our systems, AIM is working hand-in-hand with various
other government and private organisations, both local
as well as international bodies to make sure Malaysia
remains competitive.
However, while we work to improve on all of our
weaknesses, the key to our success is to focus our
resources on our inherent strengths and niche areas.
This approach has been proven by successful and
highly innovative economies; for example, South Korea
has focused on its heavy industries, electronics and
creative content sectors to drive its economy, while The
Netherlands has invested heavily in innovation to ensure
its leadership position in the agrifood sector.
Malaysia’s advantage is in its rich and diverse natural
resources and culture, and the best bet for us is to
leverage on these strengths to find our game changers
to spearhead our charge.
AIM’s initiatives, such as the National Biomass Strategy,
Graphene National Strategy, the National Corporate
Innovation Index (NCII), i-THINK, UReka, Genovasi
and most recently, PlatCOM Ventures, are conceived
to enable Malaysians to embrace new ways of thinking,
increase their innovation skills and take advantage of
our strengths and create new opportunities to generate
wealth. AIM hopes to bring about an innovative culture,
spark new ideas, encourage exciting collaborations and
identify new prospects to empower Malaysians to surge
ahead.
Will Malaysia unearth its ‘next big thing’? You’d better
believe it. We are a nation powered by passion,
intellect, culture, diversity and at the same time, unity.
We are guided by strong values and rooted in our thirst
for prosperity. Our people are innovative, resilient,
energetic and hungry for better things, as seen in the
many innovation competitions our researchers have
won before. With the right environment, support and
guidance, Malaysians will make even bigger waves out
there.
Thank you for supporting our cause, and do enjoy
reading Innozine. Give us your honest feedback and I
hope you get inspired to do something great.
Mark Rozario
CEO of Agensi Inovasi Malaysia
05
PlaTCOM
Ventures Sdn Bhd
A National Brand
PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn Bhd is the national technology
commercialisation platform of Malaysia. It is a whollyowned subsidiary company of Agensi Inovasi Malaysia
(AIM) formed in collaboration with SME Corporation
Malaysia under one of its six High Impact Programmes
(HIPs) in SME Master Plan 2012-2020.
PlaTCOM Ventures has a mission: to turn the creative
ideas of our inventors and entrepreneurs into successful
products and services that change the world.
PlaTCOM Ventures is designed to discover and support
innovations wherever they may be, assess ideas
very critically, explore them systematically, and turn
the best ones into successful products and services.
Rather than following traditional technology transfer
models, PlaTCOM Ventures has designed a model that
facilitates any segment of the entire commercialisation
process (end-to-end facilitation) from idea to products
and services. The whole approach will be market driven
in supporting industrial innovation and competitiveness.
The model is more suited to the innovation environment in
the South East Asia region in providing commercialisation
support for the fledgling businesses, innovators and
entrepreneurs including those from academia and public
research institutes.
PlaTCOM Ventures is not just another technology
commercialisation initiative. It is a company with ‘national
innovation’ at its core, and with creativity running through
every detail of the way it is modeled, organised and
operated. It is an association of restless individuals who
will settle for nothing less that being at the leading edge
of technology commercialisation thriving to help inventors
and entrepreneurs to achieve commercial success.
PlaTCOM Ventures model was approved for
implementation in December 2013 by the National SME
Development Council (NSDC) of Malaysia and the
Governance Council (GC) of Agensi Inovasi Malaysia
(AIM), both chaired by the YAB Prime Minister of
Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun
Haji Abdul Razak.
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Lifestyle
A Strategic Model to Underpin
Commercialising Innovations
The SME Masterplan 2012–2020 of SME Corporation
Malaysia (SME Corp) takes a unique approach and is
based on evidence and sound analysis. It adopts an
outcome-based approach and is considered a ‘live plan’
that can be fine-tuned to remain relevant with changing
times. One of the most peculiar features of the said
Masterplan is that it is demand driven, catering to the
business needs of SMEs. It also has a strong element
of public-private partnership thus encouraging shared
responsibility and accountability between the government
(‘the government intervention’) and the private sector.
The SME Masterplan 2012–2020 consists of six High
Impact Programmes (HIPs), 14 initiatives, specific
measures for East Malaysia and other measures that are
macro in nature and affect SME businesses.
The six High Impact Programmes (HIPs) are regarded as
the ‘Drivers of Change’. HIP1 deals with the integration
of business registration and licensing to enhance ease
of doing business. The programme is aimed at creating
a single window for both business registration and
licensing to encourage formation of businesses. HIP2 is
a technology commercialisation platform to encourage
innovation by removing financing and market barriers
to innovation. HIP3 is an SME Investment Programme
to provide early stage financing and addresses early
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stage financing needs of SMEs to facilitate the shift
towards an innovation-led and high-income economy.
HIP4 is termed the Going Export Programme to expedite
internationalisation of SMEs. The programme is aimed
at addressing challenges faced by SMEs on new
market entry overseas due to the high upfront costs
and lack of detailed knowledge about the new markets
and competitors. HIP5 – the Catalyst Programme – is
designed to remove market barriers and provide targeted
assistance to potential high growth firms to become
homegrown champions. HIP6 – Inclusive Innovation – is
a programme to empower the bottom 40% of the income
pyramid to leverage on innovation. The programme
is expected to transform communities including
microenterprises in rural areas through handholding as
well as provision of technical, financial and management
support.
The 14 key initiatives in the Action Plan are clustered
into four thematic areas for: (1) creating demand for SME
products and services; (2) resource pooling and shared
services; (3) reducing information asymmetry; and, (4)
building capacity and capability.
Specific measures for developing SMEs in East Malaysia
include: (1) improving connectivity within East Malaysia
and with Peninsular Malaysia; (2) improving basic
amenities in East Malaysia through increased investments
and enforcements; (3) improving Government delivery to
address administrative challenges; (4) easing market
access for SMEs in East Malaysia through deregulation,
provision of aggregation infrastructure and enforcement
on informal sector; and, (5) review laws and policies taking
into consideration market realities in East Malaysia.
Other supporting measures under the SME Masterplan
highlights seven other measures to accelerate the
growth of SMEs.
High Impact Programme 2 (HIP2)
High Impact Programme 2 (HIP2) – Technology
Commercialisation Platform (TCP) is the first of the six
HIPs to be deployed in 2014. The programme is designed
to link all existing innovation initiatives under one platform
and to ensure that it is seamless for SMEs to move from
one stage to another in the entire innovation process and
to link with early stage financing. The model addresses
the innovation gaps through a holistic and ‘marketdriven’ approach in supporting innovation and industrial
competitiveness. It is designed to remove market and
financing barriers to innovation. The programme provides
necessary support from ‘concept to commercialisation’.
This is done through the provision of access to technical
assistance, market intelligence, incubation facilities,
testing facilities and other relevant services – all in a
single platform.
Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) and SME Corp
collaborated in forming the TCP and deploying the HIP2
programme. PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn Bhd. was thus born
as a wholly-owned subsidiary company of AIM formed in
collaboration with SME Corp.
‘The partnership between AIM and SME Corp today has
given birth to a new entity (PlaTCOM Ventures) that will
bring the nation’s innovation agenda one step further and
with it, create a platform that encourages better visibility
and marketability of homegrown IPs.’
Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul
Razak in conjunction with the launch of PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn
Bhd on Wednesday, 23 April 2014.
Why is HIP2-TCP strategic and what is unique
about it?
Currently, while there are many initiatives to promote
innovation, these initiatives are fragmented and not interlinked and there exists a gap between the different phases
of innovation. Some of these include gaps in securing
finance, accessing facilities, regulatory certification,
Lifestyle
technical assistance and advisory. Given this SMEs face
difficulty in accessing the national innovation ecosystem.
HIP2-TCP addresses the gap through a holistic and
market-driven approach in supporting innovation
and industrial competitiveness. Commercialisation
is a complex process and the complexity varies on
the innovation being addressed. The complexities,
especially for Malaysian SMEs, arise due to financing
and market barriers such as technical assistance,
market intelligence, incubation facilities, verification
and validation, regulatory approval and other relevant
factors. These market barriers can repeatedly hinder the
development and commercialisation of a good innovation
that will not see the light of day. A platform that can
handhold these innovators and their innovations that will
constantly remove market barriers as they arise so as to
seamlessly move their innovations from one stage of the
commercialisation process to another can be a strategic
and a unique means to overcome this problem.
Has the HIP2 programme been implemented?
HIP2 is the first of the six HIPs in the SME Masterplan
2012-2020 that has been deployed. PlaTCOM Ventures
rolled out the HIP2 programme in July 2014. SMEs
who are Malaysian majority-owned entities with good
innovations are eligible to apply. A minimum of 16
companies will be admitted to the programme by the end
of 2014. Further information on the programme can be
obtained by visiting www.platcomventures.com/HIP2
The application procedure requires the development
of a sound business case for the innovation. The SME
applicant develops the business case with the assistance
of PlaTCOM Ventures. Since the programme is marketdriven, it is essential to demonstrate that there is a clear
‘unmet market need’ for the product or service in order
to maximise the possibility of the innovation reaching
the market. PlaTCOM Ventures will handhold the SME
in order to remove market barriers in commercialising
their innovation thereby facilitating the seamless
transformation of their creations from one stage of the
complex commercialisation process to another. This
very strategic and unique approach is expected to
maximise the chances of successful commercialisation
of innovations.
Dr Viraj Perera
Executive Director
PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn Bhd
E-mail: viraj@platcomventures.com
09
Lifestyle
Increasing the Success Rate of
Incubators in Malaysia
Peter Relan, a successful Silicon Valley serial
entrepreneur and investor, claims that 90% of incubators
and accelerators will fail. He argues that the hundreds of
incubators in the US are really startups, and that the oftcited rule of thumb that nine out of ten startups fail also
applies to incubators. The three reasons he gives for this
high failure rate are:
Over the last few years, I have spent quite a lot of time
thinking about what ingredients local incubators need to
provide to make startups flourish in the region and on
a global stage. In my quest to answer this enigmatic
question, I have spoken to many entrepreneurs and
have had knowledge sharing sessions with investors and
incubators/accelerators.
(a) Too many companies, too little mentorship;
Here are my top three ingredients (in no particular order)
for a successful incubation model in Malaysia:
(b) No clear funding path after the ‘programme’;
(c) Lack of business development resources.
If we put this in a Malaysian context I have to agree with
all these points, except that in Malaysia we don’t see as
much deal flow as in tech startup hotbeds like Silicon
Valley. There is also no shortage of incubator facilities
in Malaysia. In fact, in my opinion people put too much
emphasis on the real estate factor in incubators and less
so on the value add services that really drive the success
of startups.
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•
The
human
touch:
Entrepreneur-inResidence (EIR) programmes
EIR programmes are quite common in US
incubators where young entrepreneurs can tap
into the rich experience of entrepreneurs who
have started and exited companies before.
Maybe we do not have that many high tech
serial entrepreneurs, but we should be able
to make more efficient use of the available
Lifestyle
Malaysian business acumen. Programmes
like Coach & Grow have been successful in
mentoring entrepreneurs, but we need to see
more of these programmes inculcated in local
incubators in order to make a real mark in the
nurturing of the next generation entrepreneurs
and business leaders.
•
announced that they would co-invest S$50m
with VCs to spur the funding landscape. This has
already resulted in many VCs setting up shop in
Singapore to provide seed funding to startups.
It also matches the funding raised by a select
number of accelerators and has developed
schemes to make incubators more sustainable.
It has to be seen how these initiatives pan out
on the longer term, but I strongly believe that an
increase in early stage funding in Malaysia will
have a multiplier effect on the commercialisation
of products and services.
‘Show me the money’: funding startups all
the way through to commercialisation
In Malaysia we are blessed with a government
that has been supportive in developing the local
innovation ecosystem through various initiatives
and grant schemes. The government is also the
biggest Limited Partner (investor) in Malaysian
Venture Capital funds. However, this funding is
heavily skewed towards Proof of Concept and
R&D activities. As a consequence there is a lack
of funding at the tail end of the R&D projects,
resulting in a failure to commercialise products
or services. Except for a few brave investors,
most VCs are not positioned in this early stage
space, but rather focus on investing in less
risky companies with established business and
revenue models. To fill up this so-called equity
gap and avoid killing companies in the ‘valley
of death’ pre-commercialisaton phase, I believe
there should be more incentives for incubators
to raise funds with government support. For
example, last year the Singapore government
•
Connecting to the world: customers really
don’t care about you if they don’t know who
you are
It really is all about networking, networking and
networking. If you don’t get out of your office,
you will lose touch with what is happening
in the world around you and you may miss
out on forming key strategic partnerships or
striking hot deals with customers. Other than
knowing your partners and customers it is also
important to stay abreast on new technological
developments and market trends. I believe that
a lot of local startups are not fully in sync with
real market needs or problems and are not able
to clearly pinpoint their competitive advantage.
As a result they don’t pivot their business model
or technology roadmap quickly enough and will
become obsolete sooner or later. Incubators
should encourage entrepreneurs to attend
regional and international conferences and
facilitate building partnerships with SMEs and
industry players, so that local startups can test
out their business models more effectively.
If we don’t want to miss the next wave of technology
innovation we should have a more in depth look at the
Malaysian incubators and work together to establish
a model that will enable entrepreneurs to become
successful. It should not just be the government that
is to step in, but it needs to involve all stakeholders in
the innovation ecosystem. I am looking forward to hear
from incubators how we can work with you to create
successful ventures in Malaysia and prove that we can
have a higher success rate than the 10% mentioned by
Peter Relan!
Matt van Leeuwen
Commercialisation Specialist
E-mail: author@website.com
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Lifestyle
Patent Strategy as a Source of
Survival
advantage to support the transition of the invention to
the new emerged disruptive technology and have a solid
market understanding of the technology space.
Developing an effective patent strategy also requires the
role of the patent attorney to be envisioned as more than
just a legal advisor and more of a partner with business
and technical management in identifying, protecting and
exploiting those intellectual assets that will help inventors,
researchers and companies to ride the next wave of
technology into the future. In addition, aligning the patent
strategy to commercial strategy will also provide a good
insight on where the company may expand in future and
become familiar with its competitors’ products in those
areas that the client is or may become involved in. This
allows businesses or companies to position themselves
well in the marketplace.
Technological innovation has been the principal reformer
of our world. In the past, innovation and IP had only
been a topic of interest to scientists, investors and patent
lawyers. Today, as we move into Intellectual Capitalism,
companies and research organisations around the world
are gaining the awareness of the importance of innovation
and IP as key business assets. Intellectual Properties
(IP) such as patents, copyrighted materials, software,
know-how, trademarks are no longer used only as legal
rights to keep competitors out of specific markets, but
also for generating revenue through licensing the IP to
others.
Patents become especially important as strategic
weapons to compete when the pace of technological
transformation increases for most companies. As
countries grow, local businesses and inventors are filing
for greater number of patents and local entrepreneurs
are starting to look at ‘unworked’ patents in their
countries as a possible source of opportunity. Although
patents are the most expensive and time-consuming
type of intellectual property to obtain, they also provide
the best scope of protection. A patent provides its holder
with the exclusive right to make, use or sell an invention,
meaning that it can exclude a competitor from making
or selling the patented invention, regardless of whether
the competitor copied the invention or even previously
identified the patent.
Prior to filing a patent, it is important to develop a patent
strategy that devises to maximise the identification,
protection and exploitation of patent assets where
they are most aligned with the commercial strategy,
using a defined mapping process and patent analysis
exercise. This allows maximum flexibility and competitive
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When developing a patent strategy, a business should
first define how it intends to use its patent portfolio. In
particular, the business should determine whether a
patent portfolio would be used to:
•
As revenue generation or assert against others;
•
To prevent competitors from developing similar
products or to counterclaim against a competitor
who filed a suit first;
•
To attract venture capital investments.
Thereafter, the business needs to identify its main
business objectives, including technology areas of
interest, current and future products, competitors and
partners, and geographical markets. Finally, the business
needs to determine the budget allocated for patent work.
Once these key parameters are decided, the company
can identify what inventions to file patent applications on,
how many patent applications to file and where to file the
patent applications.
The companies that develop and implement a good
patent strategy that recognises and addresses the
accelerated rate of technological transformation and
commercial potential have a greater likelihood of survival
than those that assume that the status quo will continue
indefinitely.
Biruntha Mooruthi
Assistant Vice President, Patent Agent
E-mail: biruntha@platcomventures.com
Lifestyle
Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA)
What is NDA?
Non-disclosure agreement
confidentiality agreement
disclosure agreement (CDA)
the disclosure of information
party.
Return of routine back-up copies
(NDA) also known as
(CA) or confidentiality
is a contract that governs
from one party to another
The kind of information normally protected by NDA are
trade secrets, business plans, financial account, scientific
information or any information which the disclosing party
feels will jeopardies his/her business if the information
fell into the wrong hands.
Things you should look out for before you sign
any NDA
How long should you keep the information secret?
Generally, two different terms have to be taken into
consideration in an NDA:
•
term of the agreement itself, and
•
period of confidentiality (ie the period where
confidential information has to be kept confidential)
NDA often lack a clause where routine information
technology back-up copies of confidential information or
copies, which must be stored according to the provisions
of mandatory law, or internal compliance guidelines do
not have to be returned or destroyed.
Deletion of such copies of confidential information is
either not possible from a technical point of view or is
illegal. However, keeping such copies would infringe the
NDA.
It is always a good practice to have a clause in the NDA
that exempt such copies from the obligation to return or
destroy.
Choice of law
In most cross-border NDAs, each party will usually try to
impose ‘its’ law as the applicable law in its standard NDA.
In cross-border NDAs, negotiations on applicable law
sometimes develop into a battle of will. Quite often, the
applicable law agreed upon in the NDA predetermines
the applicable law for subsequent agreements between
the parties.
Sometimes these two terms are not clearly distinguished
and the question may arise whether the obligation to
treat certain information as confidential still exists after
the expiry of the agreement.
As such, during negotiations, the parties will usually
compromise on a third jurisdiction, for example English
law.
The best solution to this problem is to make sure there
is a defined beginning and end for both time periods.
Normally, the term of the NDA itself is one year or more
depending on the purpose of disclosure. As for the term
of confidentiality, the usual time periods are between
three years to five years from the effective date of the
NDA. Any term of confidentiality above ten years is not
advisable unless you have a foolproof SOP and an A-star
management system to ensure the information stays
confidential or else you run the risk of breaching your
obligation under the NDA.
NDA often foresee ordinary courts as the forum for
disputes. Court proceedings are usually open to the
public. Therefore, in case of a conflict there is a risk that
confidential information will have to be revealed.
Is there a need to include affiliates and external parties?
Confidential information is not to be forwarded to third
parties. The term ‘third parties’ generally refers to
separate legal entities, external counsel, freelancers,
subcontractors and their employees.
In today’s system, we often cooperate closely with third
parties. In order to pass on the confidential information to
them, the NDA must explicitly permit you to do so.
As a general rule, the NDA must permit you to disclose
confidential information received from the disclosing
party to your affiliates, freelancers, subcontractors, etc.
Courts or Alternative Dispute Resolution
NDAs should contain an arbitration clause as arbitration
proceedings are not public and as such are more
appropriate for proceedings concerning NDAs.
NDA is a legal agreement and the above are just some
pointers before you sign an NDA. However, all said and
done, if you don’t feel comfortable with any of the clauses
in the NDA, please do seek expert opinion and check on
your rights and obligations before you sign on the dotted
lines.
Samantha Leong
Assistant Vice President
E-mail: samantha@platcomventures.com
13
Lifestyle
GST – How do SMEs want to
position their business?
The
Malaysian
Government
announced
the
implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)
in the 2014 Budget and that GST will come into effect
as of 1 April 2015. GST is not a new concept. Over 160
countries around the world including the Caribbean,
African and some regional countries have already
implemented it. GST has been seen to being a more fair
tax regime as compared to the Sales and Services Tax
(SST). Global practice and research has shown that GST
is indeed an effective, more transparent and businessfriendly tax. From a policy perspective, GST is also seen
as a more comprehensive and efficient tax system, as it
raises the share of Government revenue to income of the
nation without burdening the citizens.
not been able to assess the impact of GST on their
business and how they are going to position themselves
moving forward. In particular, how do they price their
product / services? What will be the initial cost? Do
they need to hire new personal or tax consultant to
manage their finances? SMEs would need to have a
proper understanding of the entire supply chain, ie the
input taxes that can be claimed. Some businesses may
also take advantage of the situation or due to genuine
ignorance raise prices more than necessary. As a matter
of fact, studies have shown that not all prices of products
/ services will increase, but prices of some need to be
adjusted downwards or in some cases, the impact is
neutral.
As compared to the current SST in Malaysia of 16%,
most of the goods and services sold will be taxed at
a flat rate of 6%. There are some exceptions, where
essential goods and services are exempted or zero rated
In Malaysia, GST is made mandatory for businesses with
annual sales turnover of more than RM500,000, while
companies with annual turnover of RM500,000 and less
can voluntarily adopt GST if they wish to do so.
The next few months will be a critical period for SMEs,
especially those below the mandatory threshold to decide
on whether to implement the GST. It is important that
SMEs take advantage of the Government assistance as
this is a one-off incentive which will not be applicable if
they so decide to join the GST after 1 April 2014, SMEs
also need to assess their business carefully as may lose
market share over time if those in their supply chain shy
away from doing business with business as they cannot
claim the input costs.
It is understandable that majority of the business
community particularly SMEs have not been enthusiastic
with the coming on-stream of the GST in 2015 given that
it is a new regime altogether and is rather technical. They
would need to put in place the necessary framework to
implement which include accounting software, upgrade
their hardware as well as send their personal for training
in order to ensure proper compliance to the system.
This may require some initial spending by SMEs. In
this context, the Government has been very generous
coming out with a comprehensive package to reduce the
burden on SMEs through financial assistance including
the RM1,000 GST eVoucher for software purchase;
tax concessions on hardware / software purchase and
training; as well as lowering of the corporate tax for
small businesses with paid-up capital of RM2.5 million
and below from the 20% rate currently to 19% for the
first RM500,000 of the taxable income from year of
assessment 2016.
The recent first quarter 2014 SME Corporation Malaysia
survey has shown the general lack of understanding
by SMEs on GST. Thus majority of the SMEs have
14
Findings from SME Corp. Malaysia’s survey have
indicated that SMEs on average need around 6-10
months to prepare for the implementation of the GST.
Based on evidence from other countries, implementation
of GST will be beneficial for the country as a whole, a winwin situation for all parties, the Government, consumers
and business community. In the long term, businesses
will be able to reduce costs of business supplies and
improve their overall global competitiveness in line with
the aspirations of the country to achieve a high income
nation by 2020.
More Information on implementation of GST by SMEs is
available at www.smecorp.gov.my.
Hot Picks
Innovation Business Opportunities
Real-time Weighing System for
Vehicles in Motion
The Big Picture
The Innovation
Overloaded truck traffic is a serious problem in many
developing countries because it incurs huge costs in
terms of maintenance and rehabilitation of damaged
road networks. Overloaded truck traffic not only causes
economic loss but also safety and environmental
problems. Many African and Asian countries have
been attempting to address this problem in recent
years. Each year, damage to highways and accidents
caused by overloaded trucks cost billions worldwide.
Fleet management companies invest large amounts
in research and development in order to have a better
control of their fleets and to prevent road accidents. If
there is substantial reduction in overloaded vehicles, the
public will benefit through reduction in road maintenance
budget, less accident risks involving heavy trucks and
lesser greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions. To address
the above industry problem, an innovative solution
was designed to automatically measure the weight of
a vehicle while it is in in motion for generating precise
vehicle weight information in real-time and transmit the
captured data and image to a surveillance station for
enforcement purposes.
“The innovation is a real-time system that is able to
weigh a vehicle in motion automatically and continuously
for generating accurate vehicle weight information to
an observation station for effective monitoring and law
enforcement. The system can also be adopted by logistic
companies to assess safety and comply with effective
weight limit enforcement”
Vehicle Detection
System
Quartz Sensor
Camera
Traffic
Direction
Central Monitoring
Station
Roadside Processor
and Data Storage Unit
Layout of WIM System
15
Hot Picks
What’s in the Bottle?
This innovation is an efficient and effective weight limit
enforcement solution. The real-time weighing system
for vehicles in motion provides information regarding
vehicles overloading to enforcement station automatically
and continously. The key benefits of this advanced
solution ensures 24/7 efficient and effective operations
by capturing real-time information. The system is also
designed to witstand any weather condition and is able
to capture unlimited number of vehicles. This innovative
solution is fully automated and requires no human
intervention.
Great Investment Opportunity
Malaysia’s manufacturing sales is expected to grow
exponentially by end of 2014. According to the Asian
Economic News, the sales value of the manufacturing
sector rose 5.4 percent in December 2013, after posting
4.7 percent growth in November 2013. In order to stay
competitive and efficient in handling cargo and following
the positive growth in the GDP as well as manufacturing
sectors in Malaysia, many transport companies have
adopted truck fleets that are larger in terms of both
loading and size. Hence the implementation of the said
innovation will benefit not only road authorities but also
logistics companies and motorists at large. The solution
will be an appropriate instrument in assisting enforcement
agencies in helping road infrastructures from premature
deterioration and enhance safety of other road users.
Excess revenue generated as a result of this innovative
implementation may be directed towards better road
maintenance expenditures or other infrastructures. This
innovative solution has won many international awards
for its unique features and functionalities in addressing
the present fleet management problems.
Intellectual Property
This innovation is patent protected under the
Malaysian Patent Regulations 1986.
Dr Viraj Perera
Executive Director
E-mail: viraj@platcomventures.com
What’s Next?
The real-time weighing system for vehicles in
motion is market ready and is available for licensing.
The system is easy to deploy and offers many
advantages.
16
Hot Picks
Extreme and Rapid Battery
Charging Technology
lithium-ion external battery pack for an iPhone from the
maker of Mophie in 1 hour without any heat. This process
normally takes 17 hours to fully charge using heat
through traditional charging methods. The technology is
a ‘State of the Art’ Green Technology.
The extreme battery charging technology requires low
maintenance and it is easy to implement. The innovation
is portable and comes in various sizes.
The Big Picture
Energy is a key factor for social and economic development
of a country. It is needed for various economic sectors
such as industry, agriculture, transportation and business.
The main commercial energy source of most developing
countries in the world is fossil fuels, especially oil. An
estimated 1.2 billion people around the world live without
access to electricity whilst hundreds of millions more only
having access to an unreliable electrical grid. Despite
efforts being launched by international organisations
and local governments, it is estimated that in 2030,
there will still be close to 1 billion people living without
electricity. Currently those living without electricity rely
on open flame kerosene lighting, which leads to dangers
of open flame, financial reliance on kerosene and poor
light conditions. Given the above problem, an innovative
extreme battery charging solution was developed using
green technology to produce power supply rapidly at a
cheaper cost.
The Innovation
This innovation can charge any battery in less than 2
minutes with minimal heating of battery. The innovation
uses a unique frequency formulation. The extreme
battery charging is one-of-a-kind where it can be applied
to various applications and adopted by various players
such as electric vehicle developers, mobile phone
manufacturers, consumer rechargeable batteries and
most importantly the masses in rural areas.
This breakthrough has the potential to become a leading
player in the desired battery technology market. The
proven Science & Technology used in this innovation
is based on unique frequency modulation and green
innovation. The innovation is capable of recharging a
From Technology to Business Opportunity
In most developing countries, the accessibility to national
grid in rural areas is low. The extreme battery charging
technology offers an alternative to kerosene, generator
power or dry cells. Based on market research, there is
high potential for rural ICT, which is still untapped in most
parts of world, predominantly in the Eastern market. The
implementation of this innovation can be profitable whilst
improving lives of billions in rural areas. The inventors
would like to form potential collaborations with investors,
electric vehicle developers, electrical manufacturers,
battery supply organisations and also with those industry
players who are able to bring value to rural communities.
There is a strong market potential in commercialising this
innovation.
Biruntha Mooruthi
What’s Next?
Intellectual
Property
This innovation is
maintained as trade
secret.
The extreme battery
charging technology
is market ready and is
available for licensing.
The
innovation
is
easy to implement
and
offers
many
advantages.
17
Hot Picks
Real-time Monitoring System for
Operating Theatres
18
The Big Picture
The Innovation
Operating theatre (OT) is hospital’s largest cost and
revenue centre and it has a major impact on the
performance of a hospital as a whole. According to the
Frost & Sullivan market report (2012), operating theatres
contribute 40% of hospital revenue. However managing
operating theatre is difficult due to conflicting priorities
and increasing demand for surgical services. Currently
operating theatres are not optimised and this makes
the scheduling of OTs an important problem in order
to meet the hospital goals. Operating theatres require
impeccable availability and monitoring systems to ensure
effective communication and inventory keeping. Given
the above problem, a total operation theatre solution
was developed to enable real-time monitoring of multiple
operating theatres simultaneously and remotely over
wireless networks with customisable supervisory and
inventory modules for the management of doctors and
nurses.
The innovation is a total operation theatre solution
that enables real-time monitoring thereby enabling
effective time management by capturing time movement
for each surgery. The system can monitor multiple
operating theatres simultaneously and capture data in
the form of charts and graphs while facilitating effective
communication between multiple operating theatres,
manager’s room/station. It gives surgeons the flexibility
to consult surgical procedures remotely and provides a
total management solution for doctors and nurses.
This innovation is the first of its kind to be implemented
in the Malaysian healthcare institutions. The solution
is designed with a unique built-in video integration
component that integrates patient-related data from
existing hospital system including demographics,
Hot Picks
laboratory and radiological data for both viewing and
integration into new data using a central intelligent
processor. Surgeons have the flexibility to monitor and
assess patient’s condition and provide consultancy in
any surgical procedures through a live feed. Additionally
the solution also allows nurses and doctors to plan,
record and review a treatment using the customisable
supervisory modules. The real-time monitoring system
for operationg theatre reduces the number of screens
that a surgeon needs to focus in a surgery and allows
surgeons to capture important moments of the surgery
via snapshots and video recording features.
Great Investment Opportunity
The Malaysian healthcare sector is set to grow at an
average rate of 8.4% over the next six years, according to
Frost & Sullivan. The healthcare sector, which is valued
at RM 6.96 billion in 2012, will grow to RM 11.29 billion
by 2018. In tandem, Malaysia’s healthcare expenditure
is expected to almost double in the next six years,
reaching up to RM 68.4 billion in 2018 with an annual
growth rate of 6.5% over the six-year period. According
to market analysts, the hospital sector is moving towards
high technology implementation and private hospital
networks have electronic medical record systems that
can link patients in their branches. In order to remain
competitive by increasing operational efficiency, clinical
outcomes and financial profitability, private and public
hospitals will invest extensively in installing, maintaining
and upgrading healthcare Information Technology (IT).
This innovative solution will be a perfect answer to
generate revenue for hospitals and optimise the workflow
in Malaysian hospitals. The real-time monitoring solution
for operating theatres can be configured to any system
and the deployment of this solution is seen as a great
advantage in the local healthcare industry.
This innovation is maintained as trade secret.
Biruntha Mooruthi
What’s Next?
The extreme battery charging technology is market
ready and is available for licensing. The innovation
is easy to implement and offers many advantages.
19
Hot Picks
Cost-Effective Kit to Detect
Dengue Virus in Mosquitoes
A Rapid PCR Test Kit
Dengue viruses are transmitted to human through the
bite of infected mosquitoes. For many years, members
of the subgenus Stegomyia, especially Aedes aegypti
and Ae. Albopictus (Skuse), have been recognised as
the primary vector of dengue.
Rapid urbanisation has resulted in the creation of suitable
habitats for cosmopolitan vector mosquitoes. Artificial
containers are the most important factors determining
the breeding of mosquito larvae especially Aedes since
these are the major larval habitats in and near human
habitation. The type and location, presence of shade
and water conditions are also known to affect breeding.
Aedes aegypti breeds in clean water collected in and
around human settlements while Aedes albopictus can
be found not only around and near human habitat, like
Ae. Aegypti; but also in the forest and plantation. The
20
four dengue serotypes: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and
DEN-4 belong to a larger heterogenous group of viruses
called arboviruses.
Dengue is affecting a large number of populations causing
high mortality and morbidity. Despite extensive research
on vaccine development, there is at present no known
method of controlling dengue except by interrupting the
transmission by the mosquito vectors. This approach is
less effective since the virus is already circulating in the
population. A more effective approach is to detect the
virus in the mosquitoes before it is introduced into the
human population. This way, preventive vector control
measures can be undertaken immediately to offset an
outbreak. However, present method of detecting dengue
virus in the vector is still dependent on cell culture and
mice inoculation which are slow, costly and requiring
skills. Therefore it is important to develop a rapid, easy to
use and sensitive method of detection.
Hot Picks
The present study has came out with a rapid PCR test
kit to detect dengue virus infection in mosquitoes to
enhance early detection of dengue outbreak, so that
remedial action can be taken prior to outbreak.
The Innovation
The PCR test kit is invented to detect dengue virus
infection in mosquitoes so that remedial action can
be taken prior to outbreak. The normal approach of
interrupting the transmission by the mosquito vectors
is less effective when the virus is already circulating the
population.
Detection method of dengue virus has been
protected via the filing of a Malaysia patent.
Competitive Advantages
•
Can detect dengue virus in mosquitoes
•
Able to process large number of mosquitoes
•
All reagents and chemicals are supplied
•
Positive control (infected mosquitoes) and negative
control (non infected mosquitoes) are provided
•
Easy to use
•
Rapid detection
•
Highly sensitive and specific
•
Cost effective
What’s Next?
The inventors would like to speak to companied
interested in licensing the technology.
Market Potential
The potential users for the test kit included Ministry
of Health, town councils, researchers and private
laboratories, especially for tropical and subtropical
regions. In Malaysia, the estimation cost for Aedes
control is USD25.55m per annual. As such, the present
invention has a high market potential.
Samantha Leong
Assistant Vice President
E-mail: samantha@platcomventures.com
21
Hot Picks
Diabetic Retinopathy Grading
System
22
Diabetic Retinopathy
The Innovation
There is an increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus
worldwide and consequently the incidence of diabetic
retinopathy (‘DR’) is on the rise. An enlargement of foveal
avascular zone (‘FAZ’) is usually found in the eyes with
DR resulting from a loss of capillaries in the perifoveal
capillary network, which will lead to blindness. Currently,
it is difficult to discern the FAZ area and to measure
FAZ enlargement in a patient based on raw colour
fundus images. Instead, ophthalmologists record the
occurrence of DR based on observation. This analysis
method presents several challenges such as high image
variability, improper illumination and artefact due to the
presence of differing imaging conditions for the same
patients or different patients. The innovation is a new
approach for grading the severity of DR by analysing
the FAZ enlargement in colour fundus image has been
developed. It is based on the binary map of retinal
vasculature where the vessel ends surrounding FAZ are
derived for accurate determination of FAZ area. This
new approach is reliable, accurate and fast compared
to the current practice. It has the potential to be used for
mass screening of DR and enabling early detection and
intervention to prevent the progression of the disease
and blindness.
A reliable, accurate and fast method of grading the
severity of diabetic retinopathy, which has the potential
to be used for mass screening, and enabling early
detection and intervention to prevent the progression of
the disease that can lead to blindness.
Competitive Advantages
Several methods have been studied to detect the
presence of DR pathologies. Nonetheless, most of the
methods developed focus on the detection of retinal
abnormalities to determine whether a patient is suffering
from diabetic retinopathy rather than to monitor and to
grade DR severity.
The analysis of the current invention is based on the
correlation of FAZ enlargement with DR progression in
colour fundus image is investigated. It is known that FAZ
enlarges in DR resulting from a loss of capillaries in the
perifoveal capillary network. This led to the development
of a new DR grading system based on FAZ enlargement
and analysis. Early detection of FAZ enlargement can
thus prevent the disease progression towards visual loss.
Hot Picks
Market Potential
•
No comparable system – Currently, there is no
computerised system using FAZ enlargement
measurement for DR available at clinics
•
Clinical supervision – The current system has been
developed in collaboration with the Department of
Ophthalmologyof a reputable hospital
•
Market size – Every major hospital has an
ophthalmology department. Therefore, this system
has a high commercial value
DR grading system has been protected via the filing
of a Malaysian patent.
Biruntha Mooruthi
What’s Next?
The inventors are seeking for an interested party
p
to
license this technology, which is commercial ready.
23
Events
PM Launches PlaTCOM
PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn Bhd to provide a single platform from concept to
commercialisation
PUTRAJAYA, 23 APRIL 2014 – Prime Minister Dato’
Seri Najib Razak launched PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn
Bhd marking the collaboration between Agensi Inovasi
Malaysia (AIM) and SME Corporation Malaysia (‘SME
Corp’), an agency under the Ministry of International
Trade and Industry (‘MITI’).
This new entity will unleash innovation capability among
SMEs by addressing market gaps in the different stages
of the innovation process through a holistic and marketdriven approach.
The initiative, based on public-private partnership, is
an amalgamation of two national initiatives, namely
the Innovation Business Opportunities (‘IBO’) under
AIM and High Impact Programme 2, Technology
Commercialisation Platform (‘TCP’) of the SME
Masterplan (2012-2020) under SME Corp.
PlaTCOM Ventures is expected to increase the number
of high growth and innovative firms as part of the effort
towards realising a higher contribution of SMEs to GDP
from 33% currently to 41% by 2020.
24
The event also saw the signing of a collaboration
agreement between the two parties. SME Corp was
represented by its Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Hafsah
Hashim and AIM by its Chief Executive Officer Mark
Rozario.
The signing was witnessed by Minister of International
Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad and
Secretary-General Datuk Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria.
The agreement is aimed to facilitate collaboration
between both parties in the design, development and
implementation of PlaTCOM Ventures with a view to
encourage innovation amongst the SMEs over a period
of three years.
Under the agreement AIM will be working with SME
Corp in developing clear key performance indicators and
tracking the output and outcome KPIs on a regular basis
to ensure that the programme can be further refined and
enhanced on its effectiveness as it progresses towards
achieving its goals.
SME Corp will provide required support and initial funding
in addition to conducting monitoring and evaluation to
track progress in ensuring that the goals of the SME
Masterplan are achieved. It will also undertake capacity
building and training programmes with AIM.
PlaTCOM Ventures is a unique model designed by
AIM, SME Corp and the World Bank incorporating best
practices from successful models such as the Oxford
University’s Isis Innovation in the UK.
IP owners from academia and industry as well as
entrepreneurs, particularly small and medium enterprises
(SME), will benefit from the ease of access to support
provided by PlaTCOM Ventures in its end-to-end
facilitation service from concept to commercialisation
and links to early stage financing.
Rozario said that Malaysia has its own strengths in
producing new ideas and solutions that are innovative
in nature.
‘The challenge has always been in identifying innovations
that have a market value and are market ready. In order
to achieve this, what is needed is a bridge between
academia and industry to ensure that the needs on both
Events
sides can be fulfilled, thus eventually raising the per
capita of the nation. We need to go beyond stopping
at just the R&D stage and move onto the next stage of
commercialisation,’ he said.
Hafsah said that the programme links to the existing
landscape.
‘We find that SMEs have limited diffusion of technological
innovations due to lack of participation in the national
innovation system. Hence, under the SME Masterplan,
we are addressing this by providing all the support that
SMEs require, i.e. funding, advisory, technical expertise,
market information, incubation facilities, testing facilities
and other relevant services under ‘one roof’ so that the
assistance is seamless.’
SME Corp will undertake the monitoring and evaluation
to ensure that the goals of the programme are met.
The launch was also attended by members of AIM’s
Governance Council.
For more information on PlaTCOM Ventures, please visit
25
Events
JKR Training on Technology
Transfer and Commercialisation
26
14 May 2014 – PlatTCOM Ventures recently conducted
a capacity building training on technology transfer
and commercialisation for Public Works Department
(Jabatan Kerja Raya, JKR) staff. A total of 32 participants
across different divisions and states attended the oneday training, which was held at JKR’s Headquarters in
Kuala Lumpur. The goal of this capacity building training
was for JKR’s staff (researchers and innovators) to
obtain an overview of the commercialisation processes
from evaluating an invention all the way to licensing.
Success in technology transfer role requires a breadth
and depth of knowledge and skills rarely found in other
areas of business. Successful commercialisation of an
invention very much depends on the credibility of an
individual in understanding, assessing the technology
and efficiently developing the commercialisation strategy.
Through this training, participants gained a snap shot of
the ‘best practice’ commonly performed by professional
technology transfer specialists in the commercialisation
process. The interactive training session was delivered
by consultants who themselves are technology and
knowledge transfer practitioners. The modules delivered
include:
•
Marketing and Promotion of Intellectual Property (IP)
•
Technology Licensing
•
Opportunity Screening & Assessment
•
Creating and Protecting Intellectual Property (IP)
•
Patent Process and Management
PlaTCOM designs and delivers a wide range of courses
and programs to meet specific needs and requirements
for a variety of institutions. For more information, please
contact: info@platcomventures.com
As the de facto national technology commercialisation
platform of Malaysia, PlaTCOM plays a key role in training
and developing technology transfer professionals. The
main goal is for relevant parties (technology transfer
managers (TTM), researchers, companies etc.) to obtain
invaluable knowledge on the entire technology transfer
process, from evaluating technology opportunities to
negotiating licenses and forming spinout companies, and
thereby to learn technology transfer best practices.
PlaTCOM’s Executive Director, Dr. Viraj Perera,
commented, “It is envisaged that through our carefully
designed training modules, participants are empowered
to use their skills in a way, which addresses their own
self-identified developmental needs in the process of
technology transfer and commercialisation”. “PlaTCOM
is market-driven and aims to continue to deliver excellent
training courses to enhance technology transfer and
commercialisation capability in the country” he added.
Events
PlaTCOM Appointed As Panel
Judge for ESTCON 2014
Innovation Pitching Programme.
3–5 June 2014 – Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS
(UTP) organised The World Engineering, Science and
Technology Congress (ESTCON2014), a platform for
knowledge sharing, intellectual discussions and also
networking on various areas of interest; for all academics,
researchers, scientists, engineers, interest groups and
industry experts from all around the world.
The theme of this year’s congress is “Engineering,
Science, Technology and Humanities: Convergence for
a Sustainable Future” and was supported by Ministry of
Education (MOE), Ministry of Science, Technology and
Innovation (MOSTI), Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM),
Yayasan UTP and KPerak. The theme stresses the
bridging of all community of experts in research and
innovation in sustaining of knowledge for betterment
of society. The conference was held from 3 to 5 June
2014 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia.
During the conference, participants from different
categories showcased and presented their innovation
products during the Exhibition and Innovation Pitching
Sessions.
for desulfurisation, and continuous remote patients
monitoring system.
The Pitching sessions which lasted for three days
connects researchers and inventors to the right investors
and business partners while at the same time creating
opportunities to increase university revenues and create
new job opportunities through commercialisation of R&D.
Participants pitched their projects based on the four
disciplines of Engineering, Science, Technologies and
Humanities.
A total of 26 innovators and inventors from UTP took
part in the Pitching Programme which was evaluated
by a panel of judges from PlaTCOM Ventures, wholly
owned subsidiary of Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM).
Among the products presented at the pitching sessions
were portable diabetic retinopathy grading system, 3D
tracking prototype using single 2D camera, skin melanin
pigment analyser for dermatology care, ionic liquids
27
Events
PlaTCOM InnoSeed Event
23rd July 2014 - PlatTCOM Ventures organised its
inaugural InnoSeed event, an exclusive event designed
to showcase Malaysian IPRs to industry players. As
indicated by PlaTCOM’s Executive Director, Dr Viraj
Perera ‘PlaTCOM InnoSeed is a ‘new way’ of pitching
and showcasing innovations such as technologies,
prototypes, and products, face-to-face with SMEs thus
taking a different and a proactive approach in bringing
good IPRs to market.’ ‘This exclusive event will provide
an opportunity to understand the market landscape
and how these IPRs can create new lines of business
opportunities for Malaysian SMEs.’ he included.
This inaugural event was officiated by Dato’ Hafsah
Hashim, SME Corp Malaysia’s CEO, witnessed by En.
Naser Jaafar, AIM’s COO. In her opening remarks, she
strongly urged Malaysian SMEs to embrace innovation
and leverage on the various initiatives provided to
leapfrog ahead the value chain. She mentioned that the
contribution of SMEs towards the national GDP is vital
to fulfill the country’s ambition to achieve high-income
nation status and this aspiration can only be achieved
if SMEs are assisted accordingly in their business
transformation. ‘Innoseed will be a good platform for
SMEs to embark on their journey of transformation into
high value businesses’, she added.
This occasion was graced by VIPs from various
sectors, namely Dato’ Hafsah Hashim, SME Corp
Malaysia’s CEO, En Naser Jaafar, Agensi Inovasi
28
Malaysia’s COO, Dato’ Dr. Mohd Nazlee Kamal, CEO of
Biotech Corporations, Prof Dr Rofina Yasmin Othman,
Director of University Malaya’s Centre of Innovation &
Commercialisatin (UMCIC), and Dato’ Dr. Marzalina,
Head of Research Planning Division of Forest Research
Institute of Malaysia (FRIM).
Platcom Innoseed was designed to showcase and pitch
local Intellectual Property Rights (‘IPRs’) to industry
players. This bi-monthly occasion will stage Malaysian
IP-based advances from various industry verticals and
is a key platform for opening new business opportunities
for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
PlaTCOM InnoSeed Programme benefits:
•
A pragmatic approach of promoting good Malaysian
IPRs to the industry.
•
Demonstration of wide range of products and
technologies across various industry verticals to
Malaysian SMEs.
•
A strategic platform for opening new business
opportunities.
•
Bridging academia and industry gaps through our
networking session.
•
We provide commercialisation advice and insights
for SMEs.
PlaTCOM Ventures is a Smart Partnership between
AIM and SME Corp that creates an innovative
programme tailored for Malaysian SMEs to accelerate
the development and commercialisation of innovative,
market-driven products and services as well as
encouraging the creation of Intellectual Property Rights
(IPRs) for commercialisation. The concept of the
programme is strategic - PlaTCOM will provide end-toend facilitation and funding to selected Malaysian SMEs
for further development of innovations into commercially
viable end products.
PlaTCOM’s first InnoSeed was based on the
cosmeceutical sector and the event was specifically
designed for SMEs to understand the current market
landscape and explore how these Malaysian IP-based
natural products can create new lines of business for
them. A range of Cocoa, Palm Oil and Aloe Vera based
products from various research institutes were featured.
The event was held at SME Corp Malaysia’s office at
Platinum Sentral, Kuala Lumpur and attracted over 25
small and medium enterprises within the cosmeceutical
sector.
Two prominent speakers from the industry, Dr Diah
Bramono, Open Research Manager from L’Oréal
Singapore and Ms. Christine Ng, former CMO of
Luxola Singapore were invited to give an overview of
Events
the cosmeceuticals industry market. Diah Bramono is
the Open Research manager for L’Oréal Research &
Innovation (R&I) Singapore. In her current role as an Open
Research manager, Diah is responsible in identifying and
managing external research collaborations in Singapore
and the surrounding region. She works closely with the
global network of L’Oréal Open Research team to bring
in relevant cutting edge technologies into L’Oréal R&D.
Ms Christine Ng was most recently the Chief Marketing
Office at Luxola - South East Asia from March 2013 to May
2014, where she lead a team that consists of marketing,
strategic partnerships, business development, design,
and product management. Both Dr Diah Bramono and
Ms Christine Ng shared their insightful talks on research,
product development, market landscape, strategic
partnerships and marketing strategies, which were very
well received by the audience.
The event was a success and generated many leads
from SMEs who are looking into expanding their products
lines and opening new business opportunities. Each
event will feature IPs, technologies and products in a
specific sector to uncover new business opportunity for
Malaysians SMEs.
For more information,
platcomventures.com
please
contact:
info@
29
Interviews
Interview with Suzanna Shahari
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
2. How did you think of this idea?
I would describe myself as a go-getter; I realised early
on the impact that science and technology has on the
environment and lifestyle and I thus fervently pursued
a career in engineering, while learning the ropes of the
business world. The support and encouragement of my
parents and my family helped me greatly in achieving this
goal. I have also been blessed with a host of mentors and
experts to guide me through this often-arduous process.
I thus feel a responsibility towards disseminating similar
advice and guidance to others, in order to help motivate
them towards their own successes.
With the rise in crime rates, especially crimes towards
women, I felt it necessary to come up with effective
personal protection devices. The unique factor about my
range of devices is that they integrate personal protection
and entertainment. These devices are suitable for a wide
age group and incorporate media player capabilities.
In regards to networking, I actively participate in
several associations such as the Selangor Water
Association (SWAN), the Malaysian Oil & Gas Services
Council (MOGSC), the National Association of Women
Entrepreneurs of Malaysia (NAWEM), Malaysia Industry
Council For Defence, Enforcement, and Security
(MIDES), and the EU-Malaysia Chamber Of Commerce
And Industry (EUMCCI). I am also very involved with
government SME programs and international trips.
30
3. What has been your greatest achievement
so far?
My greatest achievement to date would be to have brought
this company up from its humble beginnings to what it is
today. However, this is not the end for me; I envision an
even brighter future, where bona fide SMEs contribute a
significant part of the nation’s wealth. In effect, this will be
the true realisation of the motto ‘Malaysia Boleh!’
4. How did you fund your idea?
I have been fortunate enough to be able to fund my
initiatives thus far by my own initiatives. It has been
challenging, but I found that by innovating and finding
the most creative and cost-effective method of doing
something, I was able to significantly reduce funding
costs. I hope to one day share my ideas with other SMEs
that are in their infancy.
Interviews
5. What are the most challenging aspects of
running a start-up?
6. What has been your most valuable lesson
so far since starting your business?
The most challenging aspects of running a start-up as a
women entrepreneur is that you are constantly negotiating
deals with many different people. I often feel as though
I have to adopt a stereotypically ‘male’ attitude towards
business: competitive, aggressive and sometimes overly
harsh. It can be intimidating and bias when your business
strengths as a woman led engineering bumi company
are questioned because it is still a male-dominated
industry. However over time, I have learned to equip
myself with the right skills and business attitude to be
lead in this industry. I believe opportunities to lead do
exist for women; we just need to continue to to support
and promote women in the limelight to encourage other
to come along for the ride.
I would say the two most valuable lessons I have learned
since starting this business is to never give up too soon,
and that discipline is paramount. A good source of
business strategy would be ‘The Art of War’ by Sun Tzu;
the application of war-room techniques in business or
real-life scenarios has been an invaluable experience for
me. I would also add that a businessperson needs to be
objective in decision-making, and to not allow emotions
to cloud professional judgment calls.
7. How does your start-up stand out against
its competitors?
One of our biggest strengths is we have a very strong
engineering base coupled with a comprehensive support
network of experts. This helps us stand out among the
competition.
8. Where do you see your business in 18
months?
About Innopeak (M) Sdn Bhd
Innopeak (M) was incorporated in 1993. Our company
specialises in precision tools and components,
with an emphasis on high-value, low-volume niche
engineering activities that are customised according
to the needs and requirements of customers. In the
21 years we have been in operation, Innopeak has
accumulated a wealth of technical know-how and
also a large customer base in the high-tech market
sector. Our main market segment includes, but
is not limited to, aerospace, oil and gas, energy,
marine defense, and automotive sectors. Besides
customised builds, we also provide R&D and
inspection services. We are ISO9001:2008 certified
and we have also received the INNOCERT and
SCORE certifications from SMECorp.
With a range of our own products in the development
pipeline, Innopeak has a very big chance of moving away
from just being a product customisation/localisation
service provider, to being a global player in high-quality
integrated personal protection devices. This, coupled
with support from relevant agencies allows me to say,
the sky is the limit when it comes to the potential success
of Innopeak.
9. What advice would you give to aspiring
entrepreneurs?
I believe that in order to be a successful entrepreneur, one
needs to be proactive and persevere, especially in the
face of adversity. In addition, having sufficient business
and industry knowledge, combined with a strong network
of the right people, will practically ensure success for any
startup company. Finally, it always helps to have a little
bit of luck on your side.
Our next goal is to develop our own products via
the Industry University Collaborative Campus
(IUCC) initiative. We began this initiative in 2012;
it involves both researchers and SMEs from the
local and international scene. Examples of products
under development are a 4x4 off-road vehicle, a
race-ready motorcycle, marine aircraft with a ‘wing
in ground’ effect, and also a series of personal
protection devices for women.
31
Interviews
Interview with Prof Dr Mohd
Hamdi bin Abd Shukor
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a professor in the Department of Mechanical
Engineering of University of Malaya. I am also the current
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International) of
the university. For almost 20 years, I have dedicated my
career to the advancement of education, research, and
innovation. Among my achievements are the successful
supervision of over 90 postgraduate students, the
publication of more than 100 research articles and the
filing of 34 patents. I am the founder of the Centre of
Advanced Manufacturing and Material Processing
(‘AMMP Centre’). This centre has grown tremendously,
from its humble beginnings of a modest outfit with a small
team of researchers and engineers, to an interdisciplinary
research hub with a keen focus on medical-engineering
developments. I am also on the Board of Directors of
Zecttron Sdn Bhd, which to date is the most successful
spin-off company from University of Malaya.
2. How did you conceive of this idea?
Our product ideation and conceptualisation stems from
the observation of existing product limitations and also
user needs. The research and development team then
32
creates feasible solutions that are not only solely based
on the requirements of our clients, but also synced
with the research and education-related policies and
aspirations of the nation.
3. What has been your greatest achievement
so far?
I would say my greatest achievement to date is to
have successfully commercialised my team’s research
output. Although this has been an oft spoken topic in
the university, the reality is that it has not been easy or
straightforward. Thus, my success in this area earned
me the University of Malaya Excellence Award for two
consecutive years (2012 and 2013).
4. How did you fund your idea?
I was fortunate to receive full support from the university
to cover the initial set-up costs of Zecttron Sdn Bhd.
Funding for the conceptualisation of ideas was partially
funded by the university; the rest of the funds came from
commercialisation grants that were offered by various
agencies.
Interviews
5. What are the most challenging aspects of
running a start-up?
7. How does your start-up stand out against
its competitors?
In my opinion, the most challenging aspect of running
a start-up is acquiring the right team members. Finding
people who have the expertise, but also have the right
temperament and attitude to function as a team has been
the most daunting task for me. Fortunately, my core team
of dedicated members has persevered throughout the
ups and downs of the company, and has tremendously
assisted me in getting the company off the ground.
Unlike our competitors, Zecttron Sdn Bhd creates fully
bespoke products. We begin by a round of discussions to
determine the exact needs of the client. Fabrication of the
product then begins; the client is regularly invited to see
the various stages of development. Another advantage
that we have over our competitors is that some of our
products such as the ATDM and the CNC lathe have
features that are non-existent in the market.
6. What has been your most valuable lesson
so far since starting your business?
8. Where do you see your business in 18
months?
I would say the most valuable lesson I have learned thus
far is that business is worlds apart from academia. It is
extremely challenging and often brutal; it would have
been practically impossible for me to have survived
and single-handedly brought the company to where it is
today. Thus, I have I have my team and the support of the
university, especially the University of Malaya Centre of
Innovation and Commercialization (UMCIC), to thank for.
We are in the process of launching our latest product,
the educational CNC lathe, which we feel will make a
significant impact to technical education in the country.
In 18 months’ time, I hope to see our products positively
helping the nation to build a strong generation of highly
skilled manufacturing-capable workforce. Also I would
see the company venturing forth into the overseas
market for our ATDM products.
9. What advice would you give to aspiring
entrepreneurs?
About Zecttron Sdn
n Bhd
Zecttron Sdn Bhd is an engineering-based
ngineeringed
company and was founded in 2009. This University
of Malaya spin-off company was entrusted with the
task of commercialising a medical device that was
designed and developed by Prof. Dr. Mohd Hamdi
research team. The device has been successfully
sold to several Malaysian dental research institutes,
and is now attracting interest from regional
countries. However, their biggest success to date is
the development of the 1st Made-in-Malaysia CNC
lathe machine.
My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to be ambitious
but at the same time be realistic. Success cannot come
overnight, and the road to the top is lined with sweat and
tears. Attach yourself to good individuals and mentors,
whom can positively give advice and second opinions.
Ultimately, the final decisions is yours to make, but
having these people as ‘sparring partners’ really does
helps to untangle the mental burden and keeps your feet
firmly on the ground.
Zecttron Sdn Bhd takes pride in offering a
comprehensive range of services to cater for the
research needs of both academia and industry. They
provide design, development and fabrication of
customised devices. They also provide consultation
and analysis on areas such as Computational Fluid
Dynamics (‘CFD’), Finite Element Analysis (‘FEA’)
and Computer Assisted Manufacturing (‘CAM’).
33

PlatCOM InnoZine Issue 1

Transcription

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