HealthTech Trends & Commercialisation in Malaysia

At the recent Health iPhamathon program organised by PhAMA , Digital A Plus Healthcare Sdn. Bhd. , supported Cradle Fund and MRANTI , Safuan Zairi shared the profound impact of technological advancements on tackling challenges especially in the ageing society. The discourse, led by experts in the field, subtly drew parallels between historical technological milestones, like those in space exploration, and the evolving healthcare landscape. Challenges related to sustaining the current health system in Malaysia, including the issue of an increasing trend in doctor’s resignation have raised the concerns of relevant stakeholders, and this has partly led MRANTI to designate HealthTech as one of its core focus areas.

Against the backdrop of Malaysia's healthcare system, a spotlight was cast on the intricate issues associated with an ageing population such as dementia, osteoporosis , menopause and more. There are critical and vital needs for innovative solutions to ensure the sustainability and efficiency of healthcare services tailored to the unique needs of elderly citizens.

The contemporary trends in digital health, shines a light on how technologies like Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR), AI diagnostic tools, and Wearables could play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges linked with ageing. Illustrating this, there are healthtech solutions from Malaysian companies, demonstrating the diverse applications of technology in improving diagnostics, treatment, and overall well-being for the elderly.

Recent white paper initiative by the Ministry of Health, signaling a strategic approach towards technology-driven reform. This underscores the necessity of adapting healthcare systems to align with the specific requirements of an ageing demographic, further validating the significance of technological integration in the system and clinical practices.

Industry stakeholders should explore and contribute to healthtech solutions tailored to the unique needs of an ageing society. This call to action resonates with the global dialogue on leveraging technology to foster innovation and collaboration, ensuring a more effective and personalised approach to elderly care in Malaysia.

MRANTI is committed to accelerating the commercialisation of healthtech solutions in Malaysia. Channeling efforts into establishing a clear commercialisation pathway, MRANTI is actively addressing gaps in bringing innovative healthtech solutions from ideation to the market. Collaborating closely with the Ministry of Health, MRANTI's initiatives align with the recent white paper on healthcare reform, highlighting the pivotal role of technology in adapting healthcare systems for an ageing population.

MRANTI HealthTech Hub programme that was launched in September 2022 is designed to facilitate research, development, and commercialisation, underscore MRANTI's dedication to nurturing healthtech innovations in Malaysia. Through the HealthTech Hub programme, an? Integrated Healthcare Cluster will be developed on an 10-acre land on MRANTI park to reflect MRANTI's forward-looking vision with dedicated facilities for testing, prototyping, incubation, manufacturing, research, and training.

In essence, MRANTI emerges as a linchpin in collaborative efforts to leverage technology for addressing the specific healthcare needs of an ageing society in Malaysia. Its multifaceted approach, encompassing strategic programs and collaborative partnerships, positions MRANTI at the forefront of driving innovation in the Malaysian healthtech landscape.

Supporting this iPhamathon event and other like-minded initiatives has been one of our key strategies in nurturing the ideation and eventually development and deployment of impactful technologies for the healthcare sector. Through this, MRANTI would be able to identify potential ideas that can be further facilitated, eventually leading to commercialisation of these solutions.

During the 2 days iPhamathon session, a total of 23 groups comprised of more than 50 students from 12 universities, exploring and validating the ideas such as:

1. A smart pillow that functions to alleviate the symptoms of mild sleep apnea through mechanical mechanism that promotes better breathing function
2. A wearable EMG device that can inject small current to affected muscles to promote recovery of strain/spasm
3. A social app that is designed to promote social interactions amongst elderlies through events and gatherings

MRANTI HealthTech is currently providing facilitation to some of the winners, specifically on connecting them to potential partners in developing the idea further to reach the prototyping and eventually sandboxing stage. The facilitation is hoped to advocate the awareness of local Healthtech champions among students and researchers in the healthcare community and elevate Malaysia's commercialisation rate on HealthTech solutions by promoting students’ research and innovation.

Finally, we would like to congratulate PhAMA and Digital A Plus for the successful organisation of iPhamaton 2024!

If you are interested in being part of our HealthTech Hub Ecosystem and join other interesting HealthTech related programs, register now at MRANTI Ecosystem !

Special thanks to all our partners!

Hii, Sylvia 许筱惠 Li Jin CHAN Dr. Kev Lim Qmed Asia DHESI RAJA MD, MPH, DrPH Ghazanfar Iqbal ??? Amazon Web Services (AWS) Harmender Singh Mohd Noor Hisham Bin Abdul Bari Cradle Fund

Article by MRANTI HealthTech Hub:

Mohamad Hazwan Mohd Daut, Ph.D. Madihah Ahmad Razae Naqkhaie Jaznin Jalaludin Zul Fadhli Zainal