Malaysia Focuses on Biomass for Growth of Biotech Sector

Various Malaysian government agencies are working towards a biomass initiative that will provide a strategic platform for the growth of Malaysia's biotechnology sector. This initiative is spearheaded by the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation, AgensiInovasi Malaysia (AIM) and the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Techology (MiGHT)/Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council, who are currently working on the first draft.

Speaking to The Star, the CEO of BiotechCorp, Datuk Dr. Mohd. NazleeKamal, commented that the draft is expected to be ready before year-end, and that the recommendations could be presented to the Government in the near future. "The draft will say how we should move forward with our biomass. I think there'll be some policies on carbon credits to ensure that the environment is taken cared of, as we do not want any polluting industry to be created from this biomass initiative," he said.

The initiative is expected to provide clear direction for the enhancement of Malaysia's "bioeconomy" in terms of the policy on biofuel as well as the strategy on industrial biotechnology and agro-biotech. Malaysia plays host to the Biotechnology Industrial Organization (BIO) 2011 Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy, to be run concurrently with BioMalaysia 2011 on the 21 to 23 November 2011 – which marks the first occasion where the summit is held outside of the US.

For more information regarding the Pacific Rim Summit, visit http://www.biomalaysia.com.my/.