URIIS 2026 to target RM15 billion in university research commercialisation
The University Research and Innovation Investment Summit 2026 (URIIS 2026) will target RM15 billion in potential commercial deals for university-generated innovations when it opens on 21 September.
Source: Astro Awani · August 13, 2026 at 10:35 AM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 13 AUGUST 2026 —
The University Research and Innovation Investment Summit 2026 (URIIS 2026) will target RM15 billion in potential commercial deals for university-generated innovations when it opens on 21 September.
Market Impact
Organised by the Higher Education Ministry’s Industry Relations Department, the three-day event at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur will bring together 300 universities, 500 corporations and 200 investors, according to ministry senior assistant director Raymond Teoh Joo Han. He said Malaysian universities produced high-quality research but needed industry partners and financing to move technologies from lab to market.
“URIIS 2026 bridges universities, industry and investors so more local innovations can scale up and create economic impact,” Teoh said. University Putra Malaysia’s deputy vice-chancellor for industry and community networks, Prof Dr Shamsul Bahri Md Tamrin, said many promising ideas stalled in laboratories because researchers lacked industry support and market access. “URIIS provides the forum for all parties to meet, build networks and accelerate commercialisation of home-grown research,” he said.
The summit will focus on 13 strategic areas: artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductors, agritech, biotechnology, healthtech, green energy, halal technology, edtech, smart cities, advanced mobility and aerospace. Over 21-23 September, delegates can attend keynotes, university-industry investment dialogues, pitching sessions, business-to-business meetings, memorandum exchanges and an innovation exhibition.
Malaysia’s spending on research and development reached 1.09% of GDP in 2023, below the 2.0% target set by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry. The summit aims to help close that gap by speeding up commercialisation of university research, which Teoh said was critical for translating public investment into tangible economic returns.
Related: Kuala Lumpur