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In a huge surprise that has set tongues wagging in the tech ecosystem, the Board of Directors of the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) issued a press release today announcing the resignation of Dzuleira Abu Bakar (pic) as Chief Executive Officer explaining that Dzuleira has decided to pursue other career opportunities although her contract was renewed early this year. She will continue to serve at MRANTI until early September as she serves three-months notice.
“I am humbled and honored to have pioneered and positioned MRANTI as the nucleus for R&D and C&I (Commercialisation and Innovation) in Malaysia. Having established the core pillars of talent, infrastructure, operational systems and processes as well as our strategic plan, I believe MRANTI can now advance in creating new socio-economic value through the commercialisation of R&D, which will strengthen the country’s trajectory to become a high-income, high-technology nation. I am committed to ensuring a seamless transition before my departure and to ensure the track is well-laid for MRANTI’s continued contribution and growth,” said Dzuleira in a statement.
The MRANTI Board expressed its appreciation and thanks to Dzuleira for her exemplary leadership and contribution to MRANTI.
A management committee will be activated as part of the transition plan to oversee the agency's operations during the process of appointing a new CEO. According to the Board, programmes and projects in MRANTI’s pipeline will progress as planned, with the respective management team heads ensuring their successful implementation.
Picked by Khairy Jamaluddin in 2021 to lead efforts to sharpen nation’s innovation focus
Dzuleira was first appointed the CEO of Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Center (MaGIC) and subsequently appointed by previous Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin in April 2021 to be the CEO of Technology Park Malaysia (TPM) to lead the merger of MaGIC and TPM, which resulted in the incorporation of MRANTI. This was part of the government’s larger efforts to restructure and consolidate its agencies to ensure that they are well positioned to execute the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (DSTIN) and the Malaysian Science Technology Innovation and Economic Development Framework (MySTIE 10-10).
The MRANTI Board said it recognises Dzuleira’s dedication, outstanding leadership and invaluable contribution over the years. During this time, she has effectively raised the visibility and value of Malaysian technology and innovation by addressing societal and sectoral issues locally and globally.
Within several months of taking office, Dzuleira spearheaded the launch of the MRANTI Park Master Plan - an integrated and comprehensive approach to develop a 4IR hub from prime real-estate. The MasterPlan aims to achieve a gross development value of US$4.33 billion (RM20 billion), US$607 million (RM2.8 billion) in land lease, as well as create 8,000 jobs by 2027. To date MRANTI Park has secured RM1.12 billion in land lease value and a total of 132.56 acres for new land sub-lease, an increase of 250% and 112% respectively since her entry.
[RM1 = US$0.216]
Khairy Jamaludding when he was MOSTI minister (2nd left) visiting MaGIC in 2020 when Dzuleira Abu Bakar (right) was its CEO. The next year he picked her to lead efforts to reinvigorate Malaysia's innovation agenda by overseeing the merger of Technology Park Malaysia and MaGIC as CEO of the merged entity called MRANTI.
Khairy Jamaludding when he was MOSTI minister (2nd left) visiting MaGIC in 2020 when Dzuleira Abu Bakar (right) was its CEO. The next year he picked her to lead efforts to reinvigorate Malaysia's innovation agenda by overseeing the merger of Technology Park Malaysia and MaGIC as CEO of the merged entity called MRANTI.
Under her leadership, Dzuleira also founded several facilities within the Park to support innovators at various stages of the life cycle. This includes a 5,000 sqft MakersLab for prototyping, a 5-acre drone centre of excellence, an Autonomous Vehicle Living Lab for live environment testing, 10-acre integrated healthcare cluster and 5G Experience Centre which serves as a national testbed for 5G innovation and enterprise-grade proof of concepts.
During her tenure, MRANTI was appointed as lead secretariat for the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS), leading to 24 commercialisations, generating RM51.8 million in sales revenue. MRANTI was also tasked to run key national programs such as Program Penggunaan Barangan dan Perkhidmatan Hasil R&D Tempatan Melalui Perolehan Kerajaan (MySTI), Malaysia Commercialisation Year Summit 2023 and Malaysia Techlympics 2022.
Dzuleira is also a strong advocate in Malaysia’s drone tech ecosystem. MRANTI through MOSTI is the lead coordinating agency for the Malaysian Drone Technology Action Plan 2022-2030 (MDTAP30), a national initiative to support the drone ecosystem. Malaysia’s drone industry is ranked 21st in the global Drone Readiness Index, up from the 30th spot and ranking higher than the rest of the region. This puts the drone industry in Malaysia on a clear growth trajectory with the potential to contribute RM50.71 billion to the country’s GDP and create 100,000 job opportunities by 2030. This an early outcome of the MDTAP30 and other initiatives which involve strong collaboration by multiple agencies and stakeholders.
