KUALA LUMPUR: The National Nanotechnology and Products Roadmap 2021-2025 should be applied to various industries.
This, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, was in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) such as smart agriculture, renewable energy, halal industry and medical technology.
"The development of nanotechnology products such as vaccines, cancer therapy drugs, medical devices, sensor technology, nano fertilisers, biomass, solar panels and sweeteners and flavourings in halal products have high demand in the global market which will boost the country's economy," he said in a statement today, after chairing the National Science Council (NSC) meeting held yesterday.
The premier said within five years, the roadmap will provide many socio-economic benefits to the country, including creating 33,391 job opportunities.
"This includes 5,968 highly skilled workers, 24,755 semi-skilled workers and 2,668 unskilled workers.
"The industry is expected to contribute RM151.5 billion to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within five years."
He said the first NSC meeting for this year also discussed, among others on the supply (human capital) and demand (job market) in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) sector, which needs thorough solutions to enhance the competitiveness of the country's STI.
"The government takes it seriously that the number of students in STEM that at present is 47 per cent, while pure science at 19 per cent."
He said students' interest in STEM needed to be enhanced and the Education Ministry had been instructed to lead the STEM Roadmap.
Ismail Sabri said the meeting also touched on highlighting STI at the community level through Malaysia Social Innovation (MySI).
"This effort by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) is an excellent step to empower innovation at the grassroots level.
"This initiative will allow an inclusive distribution of the economy to all income levels, especially the B40 and M40 groups, by focusing on the application of local technology at the grassroots level."
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said the government, through the establishment of the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS), has also intensified the commercialisation of local innovation products based on the country's socio-economic sustainability.
"The meeting had also agreed to improve the governance structure of the NTIS initiative through three measures.
"First, the NTIS Task Force Committee was renamed to NTIS Steering Committee.
"Second, the NTIS Council was abolished and replaced by reporting to the NSC. From now on, NTIS will be made a regular agenda in NSC meetings to reduce redundancy with the existing council, as the NSC is also chaired by the prime minister.
"Third, a new NTIS Task Force Committee to be created and to be chaired by the Mosti's secretary-general."
The prime minister added the meeting also noted the link between human health and nature, biodiversity and climate change.
"The Covid-19 pandemic, which is a zoonotic disease, has resulted in 6.11 million deaths worldwide.
"(And) there were other zoonotic diseases such as Dengue and Zika, which were also caused by the increasingly endangered nature.
"Therefore, to ensure Malaysia is one step ahead in addressing these issues holistically, the meeting had also agreed that Mosti, through the Academy of Sciences Malaysia with the cooperation of all stakeholders, formulate the National Planet Health Action Plan (PTKPN)."