KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, launched five technology roadmaps today.

The roadmaps aim to build Malaysia’s technology ecosystem and reduce reliance on foreign countries.

Dr Adham said that these initiatives were in line with Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s vision, as outlined in a speech last week, where the prime minister said that Malaysia is gearing up to become an advanced country by the year 2025.

"To achieve this goal, Malaysia must innovate to become a prosperous digital country and be empowered towards digitalisation to achieve economic growth that is sustainable,” said Dr Adham at the launch ceremony at Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral today.

According to him, the five roadmaps are "Electricity and Electronics Roadmap: Technology Development 2021-2030”, "National Blockchain Technology Roadmap 2021-2025”, "Artificial Intelligence Roadmap 2021-2025”, "National Advanced Materials Roadmap 2021-2030”, and "National Robotics Roadmap 2021-2030”.

"The Advanced Materials Roadmap is especially important because of the climate change issues that we are facing, such as drought or floods.

"Timber might rot, and steel will rust due to rain, but we can look at advanced materials that can be sourced and manufactured in our local ecosystem and industry,” he said, citing as an example the graphene and graphite manufacturing technology invented by Malaysia’s Graphjet Technology.

Furthermore, he added that the "National Robotics Roadmap 2021-2030” envisioned developing Malaysia into a robotic hub, improving the country’s productivity through automation, and at the same time, reducing reliance on low-skilled labour.

"These roadmaps will enable industry players to create products with high value and innovation that meet both local and international demands,” he added.

According to Graphjet Technology, which was also present at the event, its latest innovation produces graphite and graphene by reprocessing and reheating palm oil kernel, which are the shell fragments left behind after the nuts have been removed for crushing in the palm oil mill.

The company said the technology significantly lowers the cost of said minerals from US$150 to US$20 per gram.

A Graphjet Technology spokesman told Malay Mail that this was made possible because of the cheap cost of palm oil kernels in Malaysia.

"Our only cost is palm oil kernels and energy,” he added.