KUANTAN: Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) has established an entrepreneurship company run by its academic staff to market more technical products and services from its campus.
UMP vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Yuserrie Zainuddin said UMP's commercialisation office is targeting to widely promote its technical products and services through the entrepreneurial company.
"The company will produce and market services from UMP and offer the technopreneurship expertise to the industry. Until last year, five spin-off companies were established through the commercialisation of UMP's technology or products," he said.
He adds that UMP since last year had also adopted a more proactive commercialisation approach, which focuses on policy refinement and improvements.
Yuserrie, in his speech during UMP's Cendekia Bitara Award ceremony last night, said UMP has adopted a serious approach to protect its intellectual property systematically based on the existing legal framework to safeguard the interest of its researchers.
"Last year, the commercialisation office successfully commercialised intellectual property through the outright sales of two patents to Eastern Unity Technology Sdn. Bhd. (EUT) through a technology sales agreement signed in February 2021 involving a sales value of RM1.3 mil for both patents.
"A total of 34 UMP research products have been successfully commercialised with a total sales of RM7 mil last year. The amount has increased from 31 products commercialised in 2020 with total sales of RM6 mil," he said.
He said UMP has successfully commercialised four new products last year, namely Biofeedback, Pre-Pecto, BioRoot Tongkat Ali Capsule and Iszuani Hongo 1 which generated a total income of RM50,958.
Meanwhile, Yuserrie, said 12 UMP lecturers brought fame to the university when they were listed as among the world's "Top 2% Scientist" in various fields and disciplines by United States-based Stanford University.
He said UMP achieved remarkable success when it jumped to the 129th position last year compared to 133 in 2020 and was ranked ninth among Public higher institutions of learning (IPTA) in Malaysia in the QS World University Rankings: Asia.
On the Cendekia Bitara Award which recognises UMP academicians who have achieved outstanding success in the research, innovation, commercialisation and publication fields, Yuserrie said the event was making a comeback this year after it could not be held physically because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Professor Ir. Dr Mohd Faizal Jamlos, who won four awards, said he secured international grants from Singapore which reflects the trust placed by the industry towards UMP researchers especially in Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Machine Learning (ML) which is significant in modern research involving aquaculture, agriculture and environmental.
Chini assemblyman Mohd Sharim Md Zain represented Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail to present the awards to the winners.
Also present was UMP's board of directors chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, deputy vice chancellor (academic & international), Professor Ts. Dr. Mohd Rosli Hainin and deputy vice chancellor (research & innovation) Professor. Ts. Dr. Kamal Zuhairi Zamli.