KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (MOSTI) is targeting for the country to have 130 researchers for every 10,000 workers in the labour force by 2025, through the implementation of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
Its Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said records showed that the current ratio of researchers to labour force is 50:10,000, with almost 70 per cent of the researchers serving in universities.
“The target set is 130 researchers and they will come from various types of research like in industries, agriculture, science and technology, and design. If we look at the data, most of the researchers now are in universities, comprising almost 70 per cent. Very much less at the industry level.
“So we want to reverse this; we want more researchers at the industry level. Most researchers in universities are at the fundamental level (of research). We can ask them to move to the experimental development level,” he said when visiting Wisma Bernama here today.
He said MOSTI would pool the resources of academicians, industries and investors to help researchers at universities spread their wings to the commercial level.
Dr Adham also said MOSTI was targeting for 70 per cent of Business Expenditure for Research and Development (BERD) to be from Gross Expenditure for Research and Development (GERD).
Earlier, MOSTI, in a statement, said the policy to boost manpower development in the future and expedite adaptation of technology and innovation as outlined in the 12MP is most relevant to efforts on national recovery, especially to rejuvenate the economy post-COVID-19 pandemic.
The strategy mapped out would intensify efforts on development, research and commercialisation as well as develop innovative local manpower to support local technological development in line with the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (DSTIN) 2021-2030.
During the visit, Dr Adham was given a briefing on the operations of Bernama and shared several initiatives of MOSTI.
He was received on arrival by Bernama Chairman Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi, chief executive officer Datuk Mokhtar Hussain and editor-in-chief Abdul Rahman Ahmad.
