MTDC urges entrepreneurs to capitalise on technology innovation

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KUCHING: Malaysian Technology Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (MTDC) is working hard to offer assistance to local entrepreneurs who have the vision to expand their business by providing the right partner to achieve the target, besides giving financial aid.

Chief executive officer Datuk  Norhalim Yunus said through its engagement with the entrepreneurs, researchers, academicians, inventors, government agencies and relevant parties, the corporation was striving to nurture entrepreneurs to climb up the value change by upgrading their capabilities in terms of technology innovation.

“This does not necessarily refer only to high-tech or cutting- edge technology, but basically, the entrepreneurs must have a solution in identifying the technology that suits the current environment to get optimum results for them to grow,” he said.

To remain competitive in global markets, Norhalim pointed out that the country needed to have a strong and competent Small and Medium Industries sector.

“That is what we have been trying to do through our engagements with interested parties through our roadshows. Our programme here is one of six tour talk series nationwide this year,” he told reporters at the closing ceremony of MTDC’s Road2Growth programme yesterday.

MTDC’s previous ‘Road 2 Funding’ programme was rebranded as Road2Growth as part of its rebranding exercise earlier this year as the corporation saw its role as not merely in providing funds, but also in providing technopreneurs

with wider opportunities to grow their business by exposing them to the full spectrum of its services.

Norhalim said although MTDC currently offers six different funds to assist companies and entrepreneurs at various levels of business undertakings, the financial assistance was not the only solution to business challenges, and the corporation was also offering entrepreneurs a wider range of networking, including with the universities and researchers.

“If you (entrepreneurs) have a vision, and you work hard to achieve it, with the right partner, you can transform – for example from being a mere sub-contractor to somebody who develops the product yourself…We are here to assist through technology, make full use of the technology,” he said.

“We can offer funds, or direct you to the right partner. I don’t want to generalise, but there are people who said that they are happy with their current position…doing business in this part of the world, dealing with the current clients.

“We need to tell them that in the wake of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, that game has changed,” he added.

As a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Bhd and an agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the government has entrusted MTDC to manage multiple matching funds since the Seventh Malaysia Plan until today. — Bernama