KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — Malaysian innovators keen on turning their ideas into usable products should visit Kuala Lumpur’s MRANTI Park to get guidance from its training programmes and facilities.
Boasting a 2,000 square-foot space, the Makerslab by Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) offers a spectrum of 4IR focussed tools, technologies and technology immersion programmes to help increase local inventions.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said that the space is ideal to nurture entrepreneurs to build their prototypes right up to the commercialisation stage of their innovations.
"Not just that, aspiring entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to test their products through the many workshops and certificate programmes to enhance their interest in Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics (STEM).
"Innovators can progress from the prototype stage to the production process guided by the experts from MRANTI Engineering and MRANTI Nexus to nurture their interests in the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem,” he said in a press conference after launching Makerslab yesterday.
MRANTI chief executive officer Dzuleira Abu Bakar said that MRANTI Park is an education hub which aspires to be an inclusive place for the public to learn.
"MRANTI Park currently hosts Living Labs for dronetech, unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAV), 5G, BioScience (Agriculture, Healthcare, Bioindustry and 4IR technologies) - which is ideal for stress-testing innovations in a closed environment.
"We provide facilities and programmes at reasonable prices so that all will come and can access the facilities such as the prototype laboratory,” she said.
Speaking to Malay Mail, International Innovation Hub and Centre for Excellence general manager Peter Pan Choon Seong said that MRANTI’s facilities help bridge the gap between students’ classroom and the working world.
"For instance, engineering students are mostly confined to classroom learning where it's more theory-taught based than a practical approach.
"Plus equipment such as 3D printers are so expensive — why would a student spend thousands to buy and keep in their own home?
"That is why at MRANTI, we want to give students the opportunity to experiment with the many facilities here such as teaching them industrial design and then teaching them how to use a 3D printer to make anything."
Pan added that with MRANTI's immersive and collaborative space, students will also get hands-on experience through accessing its training programmes and laboratories.
Some courses and labs require a fee to enter — all of which are also at reasonable prices, according to Pan.
"Apart from students, companies or even older individuals who have any interest in turning their ideas into a product can come to Mranti to help them with their designing of their products.
"Even if an 80-year-old man aspires to make a unique product, he can come here and learn the programmes to generate his idea into a product.
"Innovation has no age limit,” he said.
STEM workshop activities in the areas of renewable energy, coding, and robotics are currently offered at the innovation centre.
Industrial Simulation Driven Design Certificate Programmes and 3D Printing Innovation courses are also available for interested participants.
In November, another 3,000 square feet space enhancement for activities in the field of Drone Tech Design & Prototyping, Innovative 3D Printing Course, and 4IR Flexible Manufacturing System and Bio Science Technology will be available at the centre.
Mranti MakersLab is open to visitors from today.
