Malaysia urged to shift from tech user to tech builder
Malaysia must move beyond importing technology and build its own capabilities to secure long-term economic resilience and strategic autonomy, the national applied R&D centre said.
Source: Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems · July 25, 2026 at 10:54 PM · AI-assisted report
KUALA LUMPUR, 26 JULY 2026 —
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Malaysia must move beyond importing technology and build its own capabilities to secure long-term economic resilience and strategic autonomy, the national applied R&D centre said.
Market Impact
According to MIMOS, a nation that relies solely on imported technology is merely a consumer, while one that creates its own technology becomes an architect of its future.
The call comes as global supply chains fracture—exemplified by semiconductor shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic—and as geopolitical tensions and cyber threats expose vulnerabilities in relying on foreign systems.
Malaysia has long played a key role in the global semiconductor supply chain, involved in manufacturing, assembly, testing, and export. But MIMOS says the country must expand into higher-value areas: integrated circuit design, advanced packaging, research, and innovation.
Beyond chips, the centre points to growing capabilities in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, secure communications, advanced sensing, cybersecurity, digital government, and space technologies.
“Technology sovereignty is not about isolation,” MIMOS said. “It is about building trusted capabilities at home while continuing to collaborate globally.”
Central to this shift is investment in talent. MIMOS emphasises that Malaysia needs not just AI users, but AI researchers, engineers, ethicists, and entrepreneurs.
The centre, as Malaysia’s National Applied R&D Centre, supports technology commercialisation and strengthens national capabilities by bridging research with real-world applications.
Its role includes fostering collaboration across government, academia, industry, research institutions, startups, investors, and communities.
MIMOS argues that sustainable innovation depends on shared knowledge, stronger partnerships, and long-term commitment to empowering people.
The technologies Malaysia develops today will shape its economy for decades, the centre said.
“Every innovation starts with someone determined to solve a problem,” it stated.
It urged continued investment in education, lifelong learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration to cultivate a generation of Malaysian innovators and technology leaders.
The message is clear: the future of Malaysia will not be shaped by the technologies it buys, but by the ones it builds.