THE Government has reinforced its commitment to advancing intellectual property (IP) and innovation by formalising a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), focusing on strengthening the country’s patent system and global competitiveness.
The MoU, signed between the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) and WIPO during a working visit by WIPO Director-General Daren Tang Heng Shim from 22 to 24 September 2025, reflects an enhanced collaboration to accelerate Malaysia’s innovation-led economic growth.
“This strategic partnership is part of our approach to ensure that Malaysia’s IP and innovation ecosystem continues to thrive and remain competitive globally,” said Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living.
Under the agreement, Malaysia and WIPO will deepen cooperation in three core areas: expanding training and capacity-building, strengthening IP enforcement, and providing technical support.
The collaboration also supports Malaysia’s broader aspirations under the Malaysia MADANI framework to transition toward a sustainable, knowledge-based economy.
As part of this cooperation, WIPO has committed to appointing a MyIPO officer as the ASEAN Visiting Fellow in IP and Economics, a role aimed at contributing to data-driven research on innovation ecosystems and policy impact analysis, thus enhancing regional expertise.
WIPO also extended an invitation to Malaysian patent officers, professionals, and relevant government agencies to participate in its International Patent Drafting Training Programme, which aligns patent preparation skills with global standards.
Additionally, the Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) offers pro bono mentorship for individual inventors and small enterprises during the patent application process, aimed at improving the quality of domestic patent filings while strengthening the nation’s innovation ecosystem.
The partnership includes further strategic initiatives such as Malaysia’s involvement in the ASEAN Patent Analytics Project, which highlights local innovation success stories like the MyB Prosthetic Limb Technology on the global stage.
Malaysia will also play an active role in ASEAN's Lab2Market initiative to commercialise university-based innovation, and in the ASEAN IP Financing Project, which aims to develop methodologies and tools for IP-backed financing in partnership with financial institutions.
“This strategic cooperation will be a key catalyst in positioning Malaysia as a proactive nation in IP empowerment, in line with our goal to drive a resilient, knowledge-driven and innovation-based economy,” said Armizan.
The agreement reflects both parties' shared ambition to foster regional innovation, elevate IP policy, and build stronger, more inclusive IP infrastructure across Southeast Asia. - September 23, 2025
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