WHAT IS URIIS
URIIS is a powerful national summit connecting industries, investors, and universities to generate investible research and drive frontier innovation, thereby
strengthening Malaysia's position as ASEAN's innovation and technology investment hub. This premier platform gathers the nation's key assets in one place,
featuring 20 public research universities and Malaysia's private universities, 200+ investible technologies, emerging startups, national and international-level industry players.
URIIS is not a conventional academic event. It is built for outcomes.
HOSTED BY
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
The University Research & Innovation Investment Summit
(URIIS) 2026 is Malaysia’s inaugural national platform dedicated to transforming university research excellence into investible innovation.
Conceived by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and led by the Department of Higher Education (JPT), URIIS 2026 represents a new model of collaboration that unites
public universities, industry, investors, and development agencies to drive Malaysia’s transition toward a knowledge-driven, innovation-led economy. Anchored by the theme
“Research and Innovation Investment through Collaborative Partnerships for a Sustainable Future,” URIIS 2026 positions Malaysia’s higher-education ecosystem as a
strategic partner in national growth - connecting ideas to impact and research to real-world results.
A National Mission
URIIS 2026 aligns directly with Malaysia’s key national frameworks - the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMKe-13), New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030),
National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), and Ekonomi MADANI - ensuring that innovation, sustainability, and inclusive prosperity are interlinked.
It also supports the government’s call to diversify research funding and reduce reliance on public allocations, positioning universities as investment-ready
R&D ecosystems that generate economic and societal value.
Led by Malaysia’s Universities
The initiative is coordinated by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) through its Centre for Industrial Relations and Networks (CiRNeT) as the Main Secretariat,
involving all 20 public universities alongside key industry and government partners. Together, they form a coordinated innovation network - aligning national
research priorities with high-impact investment opportunities.
PURPOSE AND VISION
URIIS 2026 seeks to:
• Position Malaysia as ASEAN’s co-creation and innovation-investment hub.
• Promote industry-university-government partnerships that accelerate commercialization.
• Stimulate research, innovation, and product development in frontier technologies.
• Support sustainable economic growth and job creation through investible innovation.
• Reinforce MOHE`s leadership in advancing translational research and impact-driven education.
• Position Malaysia as ASEAN’s co-creation and innovation-investment hub.
• Promote industry-university-government partnerships that accelerate commercialization.
• Stimulate research, innovation, and product development in frontier technologies.
• Support sustainable economic growth and job creation through investible innovation.
• Reinforce MOHE`s leadership in advancing translational research and impact-driven education.
IMPACT AND OUTCOMES
URIIS 2026 will deliver measurable outcomes through:
• Pre-summit workshops, regional roadshows, and showcases highlighting investible R&D.
• Strategic partnerships between universities, corporates, investors, and development agencies.
• Investment-ready portfolios across Malaysia’s 12 high-potential research clusters - including semiconductors, AI, renewable energy, biotechnology, agri-tech, education technology, and halal innovation.
• A tri-annual summit serving as the signature platform for Malaysia’s innovation economy.
• Pre-summit workshops, regional roadshows, and showcases highlighting investible R&D.
• Strategic partnerships between universities, corporates, investors, and development agencies.
• Investment-ready portfolios across Malaysia’s 12 high-potential research clusters - including semiconductors, AI, renewable energy, biotechnology, agri-tech, education technology, and halal innovation.
• A tri-annual summit serving as the signature platform for Malaysia’s innovation economy.
A VISION BEYOND 2026
More than a single event, URIIS 2026 is a national movement to unlock the full potential of Malaysia’s universities - transforming them into engines
of innovation, enterprise, and sustainable prosperity for the nation and the region.
