ABOUT

URIIS 2026 / ABOUT

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.

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.

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.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

INTERNATIONAL INVESTOR

International Investor
• Financial and Investment Community
• Technology and Corporate Sector
• Government and Trade Facilitators
• Research and Institutional Partners

MULTINATIONAL COMPANY & GOVERNMENT LINKED COMPANY

• MNC Innovations Teams
• GLC Strategic Divisions
• Industry Leaders & Corporate Leaders
• Government & Institutional Stakeholders

STARTUP & INNOVATOR

• Startups and scale-ups
• Independent innovators and investors
• University Based Innovators
• Tech Talent & Creators

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

• Financial and investment community
• Technology and Corporate sector
• Government institution
• Research and Institutional Partners

MALAYSIAN RESEARCH & UNIVERSITY STARTUP

• University Spin-offs & Academic Startups
• Researchers & Academics
• Entrepreneurs
• Universities & Research Institutions
• Innovation & Commercialisation Enablers

THE FULL URIIS 2026 EXPERIENCE

IMMERSIVE RESEARCH AND INNOVTION ZONES

•Experience Malaysia's university research as investible assets, not static exhibits.
•Sector-based pavilions showcase living labs, pilot projects, and applied technologies translated into investment-ready opportunities.

ELITE DECISION-MAKER NETWORKING

•Engage in curated, invitation-only access to ministers, senior policymakers, CEOs, GLCs, MNCs, GLICs, and venture investors.
•Networking at URIIS is avoided chaos and engineered for outcomes.

STARTUP, SPIN-OFF & DEEP-TECH SHOWCASES

•Discover university-born startups, spin-offs, and deep-tech ventures ready for licensing, joint ventures, or scale-up.
•This is where research exits the lab and enters the market.

GAME-CHANGING POLICY & INVESTMENT INSIGHTS

•Gain clarity on national policy direction, incentive signals, and priority investment pipelines.
•URIIS insights are designed to reduce uncertainty and de-risk innovation investment.

PROGRAMME

TRIPLE PITCHING ARENAS

Three parallel, high-impact pitching platforms:
  • Venture Capital Arena
  • Investment Agencies Arena
  • MNC & GLC Technology Arena

CEO & UNIVERSITIES B2B

Private strategic dialogues between CEOs and university leaders to resolve bottlenecks, align priorities, and accelerate Industry-on-Campus and co-investment models.

LIVE SIGNING & COMMITMENT MOMENTS

• Witness the signing and announcement of MoUs, MoAs, term sheets, and collaboration frameworks.
• URIIS success is measured by commitments made and projects activated.

POST-URIIS EXECUTION & IMPACT TRACKING

• Structured 30–60–90 day tracking, Secretariat-led follow-up, and national impact reporting to ensure delivery and accountability.