KOTA KINABALU: June 26, 2026 – Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has launched a commercialisation incubation hub in a bid to strengthen its commitment to driving the country’s innovation ecosystem.
The CIPTA@UMS hub is expected to catalyse the production of more high-impact technologies and research for the market.
Datuk Seri Panglima Abdul Rahman Dahlan, chairman of the UMS board of directors, said the establishment of the hub reflected the university’s transformation into an innovation leader – not just producing quality research, but also generating economic value through the development of tech-based start-ups and spin-off companies.
He noted that rapid global technological advances – including artificial intelligence, digitalisation and the knowledge-based economy – required higher education institutions to be more proactive in translating research into marketable products, technologies and services.
Rahman added that the measure of a university’s excellence no longer rested solely on publication numbers or graduate counts.
“Instead, it is assessed by its ability to produce innovations that successfully penetrate the market and contribute to the nation’s economic development,” he said.
Speaking at the launch ceremony at UMS’s Chancellery Building on Thursday, he said CIPTA@UMS had been established as a one-stop hub providing comprehensive support to start-ups and spin-offs – from intellectual property protection and prototype development to market validation and commercialisation.
He said the hub complemented the national agenda led by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to strengthen research and innovation, adding that it would also help start-ups navigate critical early-stage challenges often referred to as the “Valley of Death”.
Mr Abdul Rahman also welcomed the introduction this year of the Start-up and Spin-off Acceleration Grant Scheme (SUSOA) by the Ministry of Higher Education, describing it as a catalyst for the growth of research-based companies.
He urged UMS researchers, innovators and young entrepreneurs to make full use of the facilities provided through CIPTA@UMS and the grant scheme to accelerate the commercialisation process.
The launch event also saw the presentation of the 2025 Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) certificates and the handover of approval letters for Phase 1/2026 start-ups to the successful companies.
