PUTRAJAYA (7 March 2012) – Following the launch of the Bioeconomy Initiative Malaysia (BIM) by the Honourable Prime Minister in November last year, MOSTI together with BiotechCorp is organising a three-day workshop with the intention to identify and prioritise the Entry Point Projects (EPPs) which will be the focus areas discussed during the upcoming Lab Sessions.
Bioeconomy, which encompasses the application of biotechnology to primary industries is slated to become one of the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) for Malaysia, following in the footsteps of mature sectors such as the USA, China, Japan, The Netherlands, Germany and France.
The BIM offers the opportunity for the country to relook at how it could pool and deploy existing natural resources, enhance private-public partnerships at local as well as international levels, develop strengths in strategic focus areas and enhance current service levels.
Through the BIM platform, Government and leading industry players will set goals for the application of biotechnology to agriculture production, industry and health, put in place the structural conditions required and develop necessary mechanisms to ensure that policy can flexibly adapt to new opportunities.
Following the completion of the BIM Workshop and Lab Session, a detailed report on the BIM and the EPPs will be submitted to MOSTI, and subsequently to the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) and the Economic Planning Unit (EPU). The reports will then be submitted to the Cabinet for endorsement. The BIM is expected to be announced as an NKEA by June 2012.
