Profesor Dr. Shamsul Bahri Bin Hj. Md Tamrin
Director of CiRNeT
The Centre for Industrial Relations and Networks (CiRNeT) at Universiti Putra Malaysia is honoured to serve as the Main Secretariat of URIIS 2026 – the University Research & Innovation Investment Summit, a flagship national initiative under the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and the Department of Higher Education (JPT). This mandate reflects MOHE’s confidence in UPM’s long-standing leadership in building strategic partnerships between academia, industry and government.
URIIS 2026 marks a historic transformation in the way Malaysia views and manages research outcomes — from academic outputs to national investment portfolios. Designed as a structured, process-driven platform, URIIS bridges the gap between university innovation, industry application and investment capital, positioning Malaysian universities as active contributors to the nation’s economic and industrial agenda.
As the Main Secretariat, CiRNeT leads the coordination of 20 public universities, ensuring alignment of research, innovation and talent initiatives with national frameworks such as RMKe-13, NIMP 2030, and the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR). CiRNeT’s role extends beyond administration; it serves as the national hub that connects universities with federal and state investment agencies, development corridors, venture capital networks, and global industry partners.
Through URIIS 2026, CiRNeT promotes a unified approach to innovation investment — one that is data-driven, transparent and outcome-based. The Summit operates across three distinct phases: Pre-Summit (foresight and project readiness), Main Summit (investment engagement and policy dialogues), and Post-Summit (impact reporting through the URIIS Dashboard). Each phase carries measurable objectives for investment generation, job creation, and research commercialisation.
CiRNeT’s mission in URIIS 2026 is to move beyond traditional academic collaboration models and towards a national investment ecosystem where universities serve as strategic partners in economic development. Among the highlights are curated university–industry partnerships such as UPM–NXP Malaysia, USM–Intel, UTM–TNB ILSAS, USIM–Negeri Sembilan Halal Hub, and UiTM–EV ecosystem projects, collectively demonstrating Malaysia’s readiness to compete in high-value global sectors.
Equally critical to this transformation is talent readiness. CiRNeT is proud to support the Future Talent Framework, jointly developed by MOHE, UPM and Universiti Malaya, as the foundation for human capital alignment. The framework integrates nine key industrial sectors — Aerospace, Automotive, Chemicals, Electrical & Electronics, Pharmaceuticals, ICT Services, Logistics, Medical Devices, and Petroleum Industry — ensuring that every investment in research is matched with a skilled, industry-ready workforce.
On behalf of UPM and all partner universities, CiRNeT expresses its deepest appreciation to the Minister of Higher Education, the Director-General of Higher Education, and all strategic partners — MIDA, NCIA, RECODA, SEDIA, InvestKL, InvestPenang, Yayasan Sarawak and KWAP — for their trust and collaboration in this journey.
As the Main Secretariat, CiRNeT remains committed to the mission of transforming university research into national wealth. Through URIIS 2026, we reaffirm Malaysia’s belief that universities are not just centres of knowledge, but engines of innovation, investment and inclusive growth — driving the country toward a future-ready, knowledge-based economy.