Enhance M'sia-China biotech networking

GUANDONG, CHINA, Feb 11 -- Agencies under the Science, technology and Innovation Ministry and the private sector in biotechnology field are urged to enhance their networking with the Chinese counterparts in the acquisitiion of scientific knowledge, technology and innovation.

Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said such smart partnership was important and would be a catalyst for the economic development and social wellbeing of the country.

The Ministry must also put high priority on the generatuion of scientific knowledge, development and application of innovation in ICT and biotechnology, he said at the signing of an MoU between Green World GeneticsSdn Bhd and a premier research centre in China, the Guandong Agriculture Academy of Sciences (GDAAS) in Guandong, China.

His speech test was fax here Tuesday.

Ongkili is leading a 32 member delegation, which includes officials from the Ministry and its agencies and businessmen, to Guangzhou and Shenzen to seal the agreement between its agencies and private companies to establish science, technology and innovation cooperation between the two countries.

Ongkili reiterated that the ministry was committed to continuing its effort in employing science, technology and innovation by providing support through various initiatives such as technology acquisition, knowledge sharing and human capital development.

He also ssured the private acquisition of biotechnological tools such as molecular marker technology shich is widely used by GDAAS for application in Malaysia.

"This is currently eavluated by BiotechCorp and such technology has been successfully applied by GDAAS in the breeding of corn, rice, groundnut, vegetabales, sweet potatoes and other crops," he said.

He added that since the launch of the Biotechnology Policy in 2005, 92 companies had been awarded with Bionexus status with a tital investment of RM1.34 billion. These companies had also created employment for more than 1,850 knowledge workers.