MainstreamingSTIfor EconomicGrowthinMalaysia

Mainstreaming STI for Economic Growth in Malaysia

In most developing countries, utilizing Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for improving the economy remains a challenge. Despite various initiatives that were introduced in Malaysia, a significant number of STI-related programs remain unaligned with meeting economic needs and benefiting society at large. As such, Malaysia has been focusing its efforts to mainstream STI as the main driver of economic growth in order to remain globally competitive. ByDato’SriDr.AdhamBaba,

MinisterofScience,TechnologyandInnovation,Malaysia

Malaysia aims to become a high-tech nation by the year 2030. Nevertheless, while it progresses economically, Malaysia has to ensure that the nation’s prosperity is built upon environmental sustainability, coupled with social equity and inclusivity.

Hence, beginning with the 12th Malaysia Plan, for the period 2021 to 2025, Malaysia has embarked on a new approach by linking STI to the five-year economic development plan via the 10-10 Malaysian Science, Technology, Innovation and Economy (MySTIE) Framework, which focuses on 10 technology drivers to develop 10 socio-economics sectors.

Malaysia’s space roadmaps To ensure the country is guided well as it heads into the future, Malaysia has outlined several STI-related legislations, blueprints and roadmaps. On January 25, 2022, Malaysia gazetted the Malaysian Space Board Act 2022 to regulate space-related activities that include the safety aspect, registration of space objects and provisions on certain space-related offences.Aside from this, several other roadmaps have been and are being established, including the Malaysia Space Exploration 2030 Blueprint (or Malaysia Space-X 2030), National Advanced Materials Technology Roadmap 2021-2030, Robotic Technology Development Roadmap 2021-2030, Artificial Intelligence Roadmap (2021-2025), and Electrical & Electronics Technology Development Roadmap (2021-2030).

These roadmaps will also help Malaysia develop talent by opening up opportunities to utilize people’s skillsets. Malaysia is confident about its capable talent pool and has the necessary ingredients to attract industry partners from around the world to be part of the country’s endeavor to create a better future.

Space technology and geospatial applications The Malaysia Space-X 2030 Blueprint aims to create a comprehensive national space ecosystem. Among the key initiatives under this blueprint:

1. Development of home-grown satellites under the National

Remote Sensing Satellite

Program; 2. Enhancement of the national research infrastructure for

Global Navigation Satellite

System (GNSS) signal monitoring and testing; 3. Creating platforms for local firms and industries’ participation in the global space industry value chain; 4. Promoting international partnerships with a vision for launching an unmanned space probe and contributing to the growth of the space economy in

Malaysia; and 5. Strengthening research in the fields of astronomy and Space science, including Space weather monitoring and the monitoring of near-Earth objects.

To support the blueprint, the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) has developed 40 centralized and integrated space-based remote sensing and geospatial application systems and databases that have improved public service delivery through the increased use of space technology. The multi-sector Government Remote Sensing Application Systems (GovRS-Apps) contain geospatial information in various sectors such as agriculture and fisheries, natural and

environmental resources, disasters, security and national sovereignty.

The Paddy Geospatial Information System, for example, is a geospatial and ICT based system that can be used to perform online monitoring of cultivation activities in rice granaries on a regular basis. This has enabled a faster and more accurate monitoring method compared to a manual method that would require verification in the field. This system has benefited more than 197,000 farmers in 12 rice granaries in the country, whereby preliminary estimates of the rice yield can be made as early as 80 days of paddy age.

The adoption of geospatial technologies has great potential to strengthen Malaysia’s competitiveness in critical areas, such as food security, forest management, physical development planning, and national defense and security. Geospatial technologies, such as airborne laser scanning and GNSS, are also used together with drone applications to enhance the management of the country’s forest, conserving biodiversity and assisting in disaster management.

Ground systems and facilities The MYSA is also equipped with an Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) facility, which can provide testing conditions for a spacecraft and its payload. The AIT facility offers a wide spectrum of test services, such as vibration and acoustic test, thermal and vacuum test, electromagnetic compatibility test, mass properties and alignment and measurement, as well as radiometric calibration and characterization, all under one roof.

Further, the MYSA mission control facility, which has been operational since May 5, 2005, handles communications for both uplink and downlink with orbiting spacecraft, and has provided support to other international agencies, such as European Space Agency (ESA) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), for various space missions.

The facility is equipped with two antenna systems:

1. A 5.0m diameter antenna for Telemetry, Tracking and

Command operating in S-band frequency range; and 2. A 7.3m diameter antenna for

Image Receiving and Processing

System (IRPS) operating in

X-band frequency range, which is in accordance with the standard and guidelines set and monitored by the International Telecommunication Union and the Malaysian

Communications and Multimedia

Commission, at the national level.

The comprehensive space economy ecosystem is targeted at contributing about 0.3% or about USD 737 million to the GDP of Malaysia and creating 5,000 highskill jobs by the year 2030.

Sustainable Development Goals for planetary health Blessed with a vast array of ecosystems, Malaysia is recognized as one of the 12 mega-diverse countries in the world. It has an immense variety of flora and fauna — terrestrial and marine life. Hence, it is crucial for Malaysia to adopt advanced and precision technologies and innovations, such as drones connected to artificial intelligence, machine learning, sensor technology and others, to help conserve and preserve the ecosystem, especially in the face of climate change.

Malaysia has to envision Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a bigger way to support planetary health, which has become more important than ever before. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) will lead in the formation of a national action plan on planetary health, using STI to manage our environment. The country has just embarked on a pilot project on precision biodiversity, entitled the ‘Digitalization and Internet of Things (IoT) Programme for Biodiversity’, commissioned to the Academy of Sciences, Malaysia.

Through the pilot project, the Government is exploring the possibility of using robots and drones integrated with satellite tracking and GIS to replace conventional methods of capturing data on flora and fauna. The application of these technologies not only eases up manpower needed for forest management but also provides more precise and accurate data for research and decision-making.

Collective actions towards sustainability Malaysia welcomes further cooperation and partnerships on space science programs, both in the bilateral and multilateral spheres. It is time for global communities to collectively address common challenges and take affirmative actions that are science and evidence-based, in order to achieve sustainable development. Together, countries around the world should pursue concrete actions and establish solidarity to achieve sustainability, through science diplomacy.