First MyMAP Accelerator Launched - Monash University Sunway Malaysia Campus

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak studying a patchouli plant from which essential oils can be extracted while being briefed by School of Science Deputy Head of Research  Associate Professor Dr Chow Sek Chuen (right). With them are Sunway Group Founder and Chairman Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah (second from right) and Special Innovation Unit Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Dr Kamal Jit Singh (third from right). Also looking on are Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (behind Dato’ Dr Kamal Jit) and Monash University Sunway campus Executive Director Mr Phang Koon Tuck (extreme right).	The Honourable Prime Minister Of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Abdul Razak launched Monash University Sunway campus’ MyMAP Accelerator initiative to promote research and innovation into medicinal and aromatic plants for commercial purposes. The MyMAP Accelerator is a specialist development centre located within Monash University Sunway campus that will carry out multi-disciplinary research, provide technical assistance in product development and quality control, and enable an exchange of knowledge among experts in the region. The initiative is a tripartite collaboration between Monash University Sunway Campus, the Special Innovation Unit (UNIK) under the Prime Minister’s Department, and the Indian Government’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Robin Pollard represented Monash University Sunway campus at the signing ceremony, held at the Prime Minister’s Department in the government administrative capital of Putrajaya.
“The MyMAP Accelerator is an ‘Innovation Accelerator’ developed by UNIK to promote collaboration between government, industry and academia to drive innovation for long-term sustainability and to identify commercialisation opportunities,” UNIK Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Dr Kamal Jit Singh. Monash University Sunway campus is a leading research-intensive private university, which maintains a reputation for advanced scientific studies. Through the MyMAP Accelerator, project teams consisting of postgraduate students with skills in engineering, the sciences and other relevant technical know-how, will be guided by supervisors with industry or venture experience.
To kickstart the project, Monash University Sunway campus has allocated RM1 million. “As a university, we teach students the values of toleration and respect … Education is moving rapidly which is why we teach our students to embrace the latest technology, and to be flexible in the years ahead through encouraged disciplined courses,” Monash University Vice Chancellor Prof Ed Byrne. The Innovation Accelerator will provide an excellent avenue for students to gain industry-relevant work experience and knowledge. UNIK is the catalyst that brought the three parties together – a partnership that will result in a new and innovative opportunity to produce revenue for the country. The collaboration with CSIR-CIMAP will enable the conservation of medicinal and aromatic plants through sustainable farming and enable the transfer of essential oils technology.		Professor Robin Pollard (seated, sixth from right) representing Monash University Sunway campus in inking the strategic alliance agreement with UNIK. The agreement allows all parties explore research, development and industrial potential of essential oils, medicinal and aromatic plants. Looking on behind him is Monash University Sunway campus Executive Director Mr Phang Koon Tuck.
In the immediate, the MyMAP Accelerator will examine some of the plant-based products developed by CSIR-CIMAP and their suitability for commercialisation. The field of medicinal and aromatic plants has gained interest, as despite Malaysia’s rich ethnobotanical resources, more than 50 per cent of raw materials used in traditional medicine industries are being imported from neighbouring countries, although it is estimated that Malaysian rainforests have over 1,200 types of vegetation including herbal and medicinal plants that have commercial value. Thus, one of the long-term goals of the MyMAP Accelerator is to develop programs and strategies to overcome the problem of sustainability and quality. Sustainable farming would enable entrepreneurs to tap into the essential oils industry, which is valued between USD16 and USD18 billion, while the market for “fine” essential oils is valued at USD2 billion. The collaboration also allows the research institutions to combine the expertise of the best minds in the field to develop novel plant-based bioactive compounds for health and diseases that could lead to the discovery of new therapeutic compounds. Some of the main areas identified in the longer-term include the development of new drugs and a national database on medicinal and aromatic plants to document all the information and knowledge generated to date.