MRANTI Expands AI Connect Initiative to Sabah – Accelerating Inclusive AI Adoption across Malaysia

KOTA KINABALU, 10 November 2025 — The Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI), under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), today launched the AI Connect: Sabah Edition in collaboration with the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) Sabah, the Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (SCENIC), and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Sabah (KSTI Sabah).

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The regional edition of MRANTI’s fl agship AI Connect initiative was held at the Marriott Hotel in Kota Kinabalu, marking a signifi cant milestone in Malaysia’s efforts to accelerate the adoption and innovation of Artifi cial Intelligence (AI) across the nation.

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The two-day programme aimed to strengthen collaboration among government agencies, academia, industry, and startups in co-creating AI-driven solutions tailored to Sabah’s economic priorities in agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and services. Anchored under the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS), the initiative reinforces the commitment of MOSTI and MRANTI to ensuring that innovation and digital transformation extend equitably across all regions of Malaysia.

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Speaking at the launch, YB Dato’ Dr. Mohamad Yusof Apdal, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, said that Sabah’s growing economy and investment readiness make it a natural choice for scaling Malaysia’s AI ecosystem beyond the Klang Valley.

“Sabah has the resources, talent, and ambition to become one of Malaysia’s key AI frontiers. Through MRANTI AI Connect, we are not only building digital readiness — we are nurturing local capability so that Sabah becomes not just a user, but a creator of AI solutions for the nation and the region,” said YB Dato’ Dr. Mohamad Yusof Apdal. 

He added that Malaysia is projected to receive RM169.2 billion in AI and data infrastructure investments by 2030, with AI expected to contribute over RM60 billion to the national GDP. The Deputy Minister also highlighted that Malaysia ranks second in ASEAN for AI Government Readiness, reflecting the nation’s growing strength in governance, data infrastructure, and innovation capabilities. 

According to Mohd Safuan Mohd Zairi, MRANTI’s Chief Ecosystem Officer, the expansion of AI Connect to Sabah underscored MRANTI’s mission to turn ideas into impact through national and regional collaboration. 

“We’re here to connect Sabah’s innovators, startups, and industries with the national ecosystem — linking them directly with NTIS, MySTI, and MATCH. This ensures that great ideas in Sabah don’t remain isolated, but are tested, validated, and scaled nationally and beyond,” said Mohd Safuan. 

He noted that through AI Connect, MRANTI aims to validate five state-endorsed problem statements, launch pilot projects within a year, and develop a pipeline of local AI talent and champions. “AI Connect is not about technology for technology’s sake; it’s about creating real, measurable outcomes — better productivity for industries, stronger SMEs, and high-quality job opportunities for local talent,” he added. 

The Sabah Edition marked the first regional rollout of MRANTI AI Connect following its national launch in August 2025 at MRANTI Park, Kuala Lumpur. The initiative is anchored under the NTIS — enabling innovators to test, validate, and scale AI solutions with regulatory and funding support from MOSTI. It also aligns with key national frameworks, including the National AI Roadmap 2021–2025, MySTI Framework, and the MADANI Economy, which emphasise inclusive and sustainable technological advancement. 

This implementation is further strengthened by the strategic support of the National Artificial Intelligence Office (NAIO) in coordinating the national direction for AI development. This collaboration ensures that AI Connect is aligned with national policies, including technology safety standards, data governance and talent development, while also providing space for innovation to be tested, validated and refined at the regional level. 

In collaboration with state partners — IDS Sabah, SCENIC, and KSTI Sabah — MRANTI is ensuring that AI adoption in Sabah is both meaningful and measurable, driving real economic and social impact across sectors. 

Through MRANTI AI Connect, MRANTI is laying the groundwork for Malaysia’s future as an AI-enabled nation. The initiative aims to train and deploy 50 AI Fellows nationwide 

under the AI Fellowship Programme, build partnerships with more than 30 corporations as early adopters of AI, and roll out five regional editions by 2026 to ensure that every state benefits from equitable access to innovation. 

These efforts are strengthened through a fully aligned commercialisation pipeline connecting NTIS, MySTI, and MATCH, ensuring that AI solutions developed in Malaysia can be validated, scaled, and commercialised effectively. 

“By expanding AI Connect into Sabah, MRANTI is ensuring that every region of Malaysia has the opportunity to contribute to, and benefit from, our national AI ecosystem,” said Mohd Safuan. “This is how we turn inclusion into innovation, and innovation into impact.” 

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ABOUT THE MALAYSIAN RESEARCH ACCELERATOR FOR TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION (MRANTI) 

The Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI), a convergence of Technology Park Malaysia (TPM) Corporation Sdn Bhd and the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC), is Malaysia’s central research commercialisation agency that fast-tracks the development of technology innovations from ideas to impact. 

MRANTI serves as a connector, incubator, and catalyst to enable early-stage ideation to mature into mature entities that can commercialise and scale. MRANTI offers innovators and industry access to world-class integrated infrastructure, interventions & programmes, partnerships, and a suite of resources. In doing so, MRANTI aims to expand Malaysia’s innovation supply funnel and unlock new R&D value by ensuring effective transitions in the commercialization lifecycle. It will also link academia with industry and the public sector to streamline market-driven R&D efforts for mission-based outcomes. 

MRANTI is headquartered at MRANTI Park, an extensive 686-acre 4IR innovation hub in Kuala Lumpur, which supports the growth of smart manufacturing, biotech, agritech, smart city, green tech, and enabling technology clusters. 

For more information, please visit http://mranti.my/ 

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For media inquiries, please contact: 

Aditya Adri Saleh Ab Rahim Director, Strategic Communications +60 13-666 6667 

adit@mranti.my 

Syarifah Farhana Syed Nokman

farhanasyed@mranti.my