The National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS) is giving its one year reoport and the fgures are rather encouraging, with the main objective set to catalyse the development oftech start -ups through product development with seed funding, its Ministry, MOSTI has identified 139 companies to be absorbed into the program. Out of 500 that submitted, the resulted list consists 70 that will be scaled through key funding partners namely the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), meanwhile, the other 69 will get technical support, regulatory, site support testing or referred to a collaborative funding organisation strategic with NTIS. The NTIS program was developed from August 2020 with to date, a total of RM52.78 million has been approved for funding Minister Dato ’Sri Dr. Adham said, “NTIS is among the key instruments identified MOSTI to realize the goal of Accelerating the Application of Technology and Innovation outlined in the 12th Malaysia Plan. Six targets have been set including the commercialization of 500 products and solutions through NTIS and Year Malaysian Commercialisation (MCY) by 2025. Startups that join the program will be assisted to advance their innovations from a level of readiness technology to the next level, from the prototype and testing stage to to the level of consumption and commercialisation. As of now 50 per cent of NTIS projects that get approved cover the sector medicine and health, agriculture and forestry as well as intelligent engineering and manufacture. While another 50 percent is related to smart extension systems. Among the Malaysian technology companies that have received international attention are Aerodyne Group, a leading drone services provider and in -house data management field DT3 (Drone Technology, Data Technology and Digital Transformation). There is also Biogenes Technologies which is one of the first start -up in the world that had successfully produced the COVID-19 digital rapid test tool using aptamer technology. There are currently four NTIS Innovation Sandboxes, namely in the Agriculture Sandbox in FELDA Mempaga, Pahang; Robotics and Automation Sandbox in Iskandar Drone and Robotics Zone; Sandbox Logistics for urban delivery drones in Cyberjaya and Area 57 which is a one -stop center first for the innovation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs and UASs) in Technology Park Malaysia, Bukit Jalil.
