july - september 2014 · january - march 2015 from the editor in-chief spin-out or spin-off...

July - September 2014

01www.platcomventures.com

July - September 2014

PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn Bhd (1079744-P)Advisor : Biruntha MooruthiEditor : Dr. Viraj Perera

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PlaTCOM InnoZine is the offi cial publication of PlaTCOM Ventures, published quarterly in collaboration with LexisNexis Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

This newsletter is written as a general guide only. It is not intended to contain defi nitive legal advice, which should be sought as appropriate in relation to any particular matter. The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors are theirs alone, and do not refl ect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of PlaTCOM Ventures or any employee thereof. All users are permitted to view the content of this newsletter, without prejudice to the intellectual property rights belonging to PlaTCOM Ventures. However, any unauthorised reproduction, duplication, transmission or alteration, in any form or by any means, whether in part or in whole, of this newsletter, is strictly prohibited. PlaTCOM Ventures also prohibits the use of this newsletter and all or any of its contents herein, for commercial and/or personal gain, profi t or sale.

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Article contribution:PlaTCOM Ventures welcomes letters, articles, views and news (including photographs) for possible inclusion in this newsletter. However, PlaTCOM Ventures reserves the right not to publish or to edit those published for content, clarity, style and space considerations. Contributions and enquiries may be directed to [email protected].

ContentsAbout PlaTCOM 02

From the Editor In-Chief 03

Lifestyle

Technology Transfer-Art or Science? 05

Why should I search for patents? 07

Innovation Today 09

Cover Story

Halal Hi-Tech Challenge 2015 10

Hot Picks

ENAI-Counseling Management System 12

Virtual Reality Surgery Platform for Cataract Surgery

14

Paperless digital Interactive audit checklist

16

Innovative Micro Carrier Production for Halal Vaccines

18

A New Opportunity with Germinated Brown Rice Health Cereal

20

Events

HIP2-TCP : Malaysian innovators discovered

22

Dragon’s Den Event, in conjunction with USTART Conference 2015

24

PlaTCOM InnoSeed Event – February 2015

26

My Story

Interview with Eric Tan 28

January - March 2015July - September 2014

PlaTCOMVentures Sdn Bhd

A National Brand

PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn Bhd is the national technology commercialisation platform of Malaysia. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary company of Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) formed in collaboration with SME Corporation Malaysia under one of its six High Impact Programmes (HIPs) in SME Master Plan 2012-2020.

PlaTCOM Ventures has a mission: to turn the creative ideas of our inventors and entrepreneurs into successful products and services that change the world.

PlaTCOM Ventures is designed to discover and support innovations wherever they may be, assess ideas very critically, explore them systematically, and turn the best ones into successful products and services. Rather than following traditional technology transfer models, PlaTCOM Ventures has designed a model that facilitates any segment of the entire commercialisation process (end-to-end facilitation) from idea to products and services. The whole approach will be market driven in supporting industrial innovation and competitiveness. The model is more suited to the innovation environment in

the South East Asia region in providing commercialisation support for the fl edgling businesses, innovators and entrepreneurs including those from academia and public research institutes.

PlaTCOM Ventures is not just another technology commercialisation initiative. It is a company with ‘national innovation’ at its core, and with creativity running through every detail of the way it is modeled, organised and operated. It is an association of restless individuals who will settle for nothing less that being at the leading edge of technology commercialisation thriving to help inventors and entrepreneurs to achieve commercial success.

PlaTCOM Ventures model was approved for implementation in December 2013 by the National SME Development Council (NSDC) of Malaysia and the Governance Council (GC) of Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM), both chaired by the YAB Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak.

02 www.platcomventures.com

Editor’s Message


January - March 2015

From the Editor In-Chief

Spin-out or spin-off companies are new companies that evolve from universities and other academic centres as a result of the process of technology transfer from research to commercialisation of new products or services.

Despite rarely getting a fi nancial return from spin-out companies, there are very good reasons why universities actively form spin-outs. Firstly, genuinely great technology which can benefi t mankind is sometimes best propagated via a spin-out company. Along with licensing to corporations, it is one of the two great models for ensuring investment into a university technology concept. Secondly, spin-out companies can be great marketing opportunities for universities, helping to attract funding and high quality students and staff. Thirdly, spin-out companies can have a positive feedback effect for a university where researchers become more focused on lucrative emerging technology areas due to interactions with the spin-out companies.

Many academic spin-out companies face signifi cant diffi culties in transforming an initial idea into a wealth-creating and sustainable business. Many studies conducted across the globe suggest that a lack of entrepreneurial orientation by the researchers promoting and managing the spin-out companies is to blame for their high rate of failure.

In organisational and business terms, there are two main problems; (1) the imbalance of the team towards technical skills; and, (2) a lack of clarity in identifying an entrepreneurial fi gure to lead the venture. On the whole, the spin-out companies lack personnel with appropriate management skills to complement technical prowess but recruiting suitable staff is not viable because of limited fi nances.

Most academic spin-out initiatives often lack market orientation. In most cases, they perform the simple task of connecting businesses and public research institutions. The funds available for these types of activities are rather limited, and further penalise the process of breaking away from the scientifi c laboratories and the start-up of new companies.

In order to minimise the chances of spin-out failure, it is advisable that prior to spinning out a company from academia, effort should be invested in the generation of business ideas in the academic environment that allow a tenable business plan to be created based on verifi ed market potential. Such efforts would reduce the incubation period but only if assistance in raising capital and fi nding trading partners is undertaken in concert with such efforts.

As a research organisation, have you looked deep into the above in order to maximise the chances of spin-out success? What other strategies could be used to minimise spin-out failure? Do all academics have the essential business acumen and entrepreneurial skills (plus what it takes!) to make a spin-out a success? Has your university spin-out policy been periodically reviewed and revised based on past spin-out successes and failures? Is it optimised for value-creation for the university as well as the society as a whole? Some food for thought…

The aim of PlaTCOM InnoZine is to offer a lifestyle magazine for innovative businesses and knowledge creators such as universities, research institutes, and a variety of other organisations that businesses rely on in attracting new knowledge, new technology and expertise to innovate. In this respect we strive to entertain our readers with articles relating to ‘Innovation Lifestyle’ while also providing technology ‘Hot Picks’ for relevant businesses to consider engulfi ng. The ‘Events’ section reveals recent events in the innovation and commercialisation space. The interview sections portrays discussions with distinguished innovators from academia and industry with regards to their inventions.

Editor’s Message



I would like to convey a few words of thanks; I must say that PlaTCOM Ventures is an inspiring collaboration between Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (“AIM”) and SME Corporation Malaysia (“SME Corp”). As such, I fi rst want to acknowledge our collaborator SME Corp and would like to convey my heartfelt thanks to Dato’ Hafsah Hashim (CEO) and Ms Karunajothi Kandasamy (Senior Director of Economics and Policy Planning) for their incredible support and encouragement. I am also very grateful to Mr Mark Rozario (CEO, AIM) and Mr Naser Jaafar (COO, AIM) for their insightful guidance, support and leadership in making PlaTCOM Ventures – and hence, PlaTCOM InnoZine – a reality. Furthermore, thanks to our writers, and to you, our readers, for making it all real.

I welcome you to the third issue of PlaTCOM InnoZine and I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to drop us a line anytime with your thoughts, questions, comments and feedback at [email protected]. Alternatively, please visit our website at www.platcomventures.com for a digital copy of this magazine or to join our dedicated PlaTCOM InnoZine Blog.

Dr. Viraj PereraEditor/Chief Executive Officer

Lifestyle



Technology Transfer-Art or Science?

Due to growing national and corporate competitiveness in the information age, technology and innovation are becoming progressively signifi cant in knowledge-based economies. Malaysia is defi nitely not lacking behind, at the very least, the awareness on the importance of knowledge economy has been stressed over the recent years. Open Innovation as promoted by Henry Chesbrough has triggered a paradigm shift in how we view the roles of academic institutions. Although universities and research institutes have always been traditionally a source of science and technology, especially in the last few years they have made signifi cant progress and development in their systems to foster and empower technology transfer through the collaboration between industry and academics – in other words, technology transferred from universities to industry.

The question remains to be answered and justifi ed is— Are we doing it right? A question even the most established technology transfer offi ce anywhere in the

world will fi nd it hard to justify. Over the years, Malaysian universities have progressed at different paces. Few have well-established technology transfer centres, some are just starting to establish one by benchmarking various models out there while some have entirely given up and closed down the unit. In terms of real tangible outcomes, it is defi nitely too soon to judge based on The Long Nose of Innovation approach. Technology transfer is a dynamic process of commercialising research, including evaluating a discovery for its commercial merit, protecting a discovery via patents and copyrights, and licensing it to either a start-up or established company. Each case is unique depending on the market, technology, inventors, culture and motivation. Regardless of the structure and model implemented, the underlying important predictor of success in technology transfer has always been the skills of its technology transfer managers.

Technology transfer in Malaysia is in its infancy and we are defi nitely unable to claim that we are doing

Lifestyle



it well just yet. The list of accusations from industries, academics, and others are extremely long, ranging from incompetence to greed. It is very common to hear that technology transfer offi ces allegedly employ inadequately trained staff that simply fail to assess the commercial viability of an invention and understand the company’s needs. At the same time, they are being chastised for demanding unrealistic fi gures on upfront fees and royalties that some companies fi nd the terms onerous and they subsequently withdraw, leaving both university and company with lost opportunities. Casting our eyes on the situation at hand, technology transfer as a profession has not really established into a career with rigid training and educational requirements. Defi ning skills is one thing, but fi nding them in a single person is another matter. Getting an MBA, law degree or even postgraduate degree does not instantly qualify a person to work in technology transfer. It is always a delicate balance between personality, business experience and degree.

Learning the theory on IP, law, business and processes involved in technology transfer through capacity building courses is just half of the battle won. The rest lies in the art of mastering soft skills that are critical to every technology transfer manager in handling their cases effectively. For example, technology evaluation can be condensed in a few direct questions: Is the idea patentable? What is your competitive advantage? How big is the market? What resources need to be in place to move it nearer to the market? All these questions do not seem to be hard but if the technology transfer manager doesn’t have the background information nor the exposure in that specifi c fi eld, it becomes a daunting task to derive a meaningful conclusion. There are certainly no hard facts and rules that you can follow or learn to perform an evaluation; it is a dynamic combination of market, technical and business intelligence condensed through years of experience. A skilled manager can probably perform a rough estimation of “yes/no/maybe” on a technology in 5-10 minutes.

Relationship-building and communication are by far the most vital skills. The ability to evaluate a technology correctly is one thing; the ability to communicate the evaluation to the inventor is another matter because value judgments are being made about a scientist’s life’s work. Technology transfer involves at least two parties if not more and the capability to manage various stakeholders to achieve their goals without sacrifi cing what you desire from the relationship is key in nurturing a win-win collaboration partnership. No long-term, risk-laden technology partnership can be distilled down to a single royalty number. While money is obviously a key to many license negotiations and partnerships, there

are always other non-monetary motivations that can be satisfi ed to make discussions related to the money less rancorous. It is entirely up to the manager to control the discussion, probe to clarify, understanding the underlying drives/reasons and develop a solution that satisfi es all parties.

More often than not, a technology transfer manager faces multiple parties that have never collaborated with each other. With low level of assurance in any potential partnership for a start, each party is equally unsure how to proceed and depend heavily on the guidance of a technology transfer manager as their intermediary. The confi dence in dealing with a unique business value proposition backed with knowledge and experience is absolutely instrumental to progress an interaction into collaboration. A technology transfer professional must be able to discern, even among high-potential technologies, which ones have the highest potential and require the least amount of resources and suggest the best business option. The main skill here is having the capability to determine where the structural fl aws in a business plan lie, and also being able to answer how those fl aws can be fi xed. Mastering the ability to provide clear and structured guidance balanced with fl exibility is what separates an intermediary and a trusted intermediary.

Sharing expertise and best practices with their less experienced counterparts will certainly upheave the standard of the profession as a whole. Formal trainings must be coupled with practical case study modules to enrich technology transfer managers. Be it art or science, probably the best strategy is to have an open and honest assessment of the skills and qualities of technology transfer managers. Where are they strong? Where are they weak? What skills and support should be added to the group to supplement? Ongoing training and experience sharing is the prerequisite to bring promising R&D results to market. In summary, no courses are suffi cient to fully train a profession that requires both soft and hard skills, technology transfer managers will have to train themselves; inevitably, it’s a job you learn on the job.

Dr. Ng Sing KweiManager, Commercialisation SpecialistPlaTCOM Ventures Sdn BhdE-mail: [email protected]

Lifestyle



Why should I search for patents?

The proliferation of free patent databases on the web over the last decade or so has dramatically improved access to vast patent information. Although, as access to patent information has signifi cantly improved, emphasizing the importance of searching for patents has not been suffi ciently communicated to researchers, students, entrepreneurs and other innovators.

Today’s global economy is a highly competitive environment powered by technological innovation. Consequently, knowledge of patents and intellectual property (“IP”) in general is essential for the modern researcher, student, entrepreneur and innovator. Innovators must know how to protect the IP that they create, whether they work for a university, a small startup or large multinational company. In addition, innovators must be aware of and respect the IP rights of others or else risk costly infringement mistakes. Most importantly, innovators should know how to tap into the rich technical information contained in the vast and rapidly growing body of patent literature.

Why should this be the case and when should a patent literature search be performed? This is comparable to searching a minefi eld. You fi rst need to search and identify the locations of land mines before you can freely traverse through it. If not, you will be running the terrible risk of blowing yourself up! Searching patent literature is not too different to this simile (although it would not endanger your life, it could literally cost you an arm and a leg).

An effective study of the state of art is advisable before initiating an R&D project. It is very important to note that such study is not only focused on books and journal publications, but also on patent information. The following are some credible reasons as to why a formal patent search should be conducted prior to initiating an R&D project:

• The patent system is the most prolifi c and up-to-date source of information on applied research. Patents contain detailed technical information, which is not

Lifestyle



generally found in journal publications and books. It is said that up to 80% of current technical knowledge is can only be found in patent documents. This information is readily available, as in general practice patent publications are published 18 months after the fi rst fi ling, irrespective of their country of origin.

• Since most technical information is not available elsewhere, looking up patents is an effi cient way to avoid duplication of R&D efforts. It has been revealed that up to 30% of all expenditure in R&D is wasted in conducting research in reinventing the wheel! Patents are the richest source of technical information and it is a fact that many companies do not disclose their R&D results in any other form.

• Around 80-90% patents found in databases no longer in force for various reasons. This means that the technical information gathered in a vast number of inventions is available for free. Even if a patent is still in force, the information it contains can be freely consulted under certain conditions and used for experimental purposes.

• Patent information is also a great source to identify state of the art in many technology areas. This information can also be very useful in identifying and monitoring the innovation strategies as well as future strategic directions of competitors and other players at a very early stage. Hence, it’s a great means by which business intelligence can be gathered.

• Since patent information reveals details regarding the inventors, applicants, year of application etc., much information can be gathered on potential parties who would be buyers or licensees of available IP. This is extremely valuable when gathering intelligence on potential parties who would be interested in a given piece of IP. Thus, competitors can pretty much become complementors if the IP and the deal fi t in with the buyer’s/licensees business strategy.

There are a couple of databases freely available for patent searching; namely, esp@cenet and Google Patents. Esp@cenet offers a free worldwide search function of over 90 million patents and is a good source that novice searchers can readily use. All documents are classifi ed by technological areas on the basis of the International Patent Classifi cation which the world-wide standard.

In conclusion, ‘search fi rst, then start’.

Dr Viraj PereraChief Executive OfficerPlaTCOM Ventures Sdn BhdE-mail: [email protected]

Lifestyle



Innovation Today

If you feel the world is spinning faster these days, you certainly are not alone. The pace of change is accelerating all the time. Innovation is no longer just about new technology. Indeed, innovations in the way companies do business can have a bigger impact on their success than new technology alone.

Whatever its focus, however, innovation is essentially a chain reaction. From the beginning of time, every advance the human race has made has inspired others. Consider the telecommunications industry, for instance. Oersted’s discovery that a wire carrying a current could defl ect a magnetised compass needle led to invention of the electric telegraph. The telegraph led to the phone, which makes it much easier for a head offi ce to coordinate the efforts of teams in different factories and offi ces. In doing so, it paved the way for multinational, multisite organisations we are familiar with today. It’s the same today, but globalisation and technology have come together to accelerate every step of the process, stimulating the creation of new ideas and speeding them on their way to market. The ideas then trigger new cycle of innovation — one that well progress at an even faster rate. The result is an explosion of creativity that shows no sign of coming to an end. This is known as Innovation Big Bang, a unique event in human history.

Companies that have too few of the right ideas will fi nd their business ebbing away. So too will businesses that are slow to turn their ideas into marketable products and services. New ideas can come anywhere at any time — that is, after all, how you “stole” the market in the fi rst place. Add to that fact that it is getting easier and easier for companies to clone their competitors’ products, and it is clear that having one or a few winning ideas is going to

be far from good enough. To take and hold the initiative, you need a pipeline that can pour innovations onto the market at what, by yesterday’s standards, would be a blistering pace. You may only have a few weeks’ or perhaps few days’ head start on your competitors, so there is no chance at all to stand still.

The ideal would be to innovate at the speed of life — that is, to be so at one with your customer’s thinking that you consistently deliver the new products and services they are looking for at just the moment they need them and ensure there never is a gap between what they ask for and what you offer. And what matters is the speed at which customers are able to improve their personal and professional lives, not the speed at which new technologies become available.

As far as customers are concerned, genuine innovation happens only when their daily lives actually get better or their companies achieve greater success as a result! It will be impossible for companies to even get close to this if they use traditional methods of innovation. To aspire to match the speed of customers’ lives, companies must transform the way they innovate.

Biruntha MooruthiVice President,Commercialisation SpecialistHead of IP Services, Registered Patent, Trademark, ID AgentPlaTCOM Ventures Sdn BhdE-mail: [email protected]

Cover Story



Did you know that the Global Halal Market is worth USD 2.3 trillion/year? To us, it’s crystal clear how you should be spending your month of April: competing in the biggest, boldest and best Hi-Tech acceleration program in South East Asia!

PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn Bhd is collaborating with Halal Tech Venture Builders (“HTVB”) to introduce the world’s fi rst Halal Hi-Tech Accelerator Programme known as the Halal Hi-Tech Challenge 2015 (“HHTC”) which will begin in March 2015. This challenge is organised with the goal of admitting and cultivating passionate Malaysian SMEs seeking to be at the forefront of building a successful halal business and seizing the opportunity of the Global Halal Market.

The main objective of HHTC is to discover the hidden top 10 SME gems of Halal Hi-Tech in Malaysia, which will be chosen for commercialisation and funding. This is the fi rst-of-its-kind initiative and has not been organised anywhere in the world, as of yet. PlaTCOM will be the fi rst to initiate this effort as we see that there is immense potential within the halal industry of Malaysia. PlaTCOM Ventures will be assisting the country’s aspiration towards establishing itself as a global halal hub.

The Halal Hi-Tech Challenge 2015 is an intense 2-week programme with a comprehensive framework. Applications are open to Hi-Tech SME’s throughout the country and thirty companies will be chosen to take part. During the two week program, the Hi-Tech SMEs

will participate in eight different modules of Halal-Tech training and entrepreneurship. They will go through intense product development with established hi-tech industry leaders. Ten hi-tech gems will be chosen for commercialisation and funding. Up to RM 10,000,000 worth of investment will be pledged to the top ten Hi-Tech SMEs. Each winner would be given a fund based on their innovation and business plan to overcome the market barriers to innovation.

Winners of the HHTC will be admitted into the High Impact Programme 2 under the SME Masterplan 2012-2020. In addition, an end-to-end commercialisation support will be extended to these companies, through the provision of fi nancial assistance, which include IP strategy, technical assistance, mentoring, access to equipment, infrastructure, incubation and testing and validation by PlaTCOM Ventures to build their business.

Halal Hi-Tech Challenge is a FREE 2 week, 3 weekends Halal Hi-Tech Bootcamp that offers:

- 8 Modules of Halal Hi-Tech & Business Training

- 2 Weeks of Hi-Tech Product Development

- 3 Weekends of Intense Entrepreneurial Training

You think you’ve got what it takes to win? Prove it! Apply at www.halaltechchallenge.com/hitech now!

More information at www.halaltechchallenge.com/hitech

Halal Hi-Tech Challenge 2015

Innovation Business Opportunities Hot Picks



ENAI- Counseling Management System

Snapshot

ENAI (Employee Needs Assessment Inventory) is a counseling management system that offers an innovative 3-tiered program designed to help organizations detect and perform appropriate interventions to address the problems faced by the employee.

What’s the Fuss?

University of Warwick’s research found that happy workers were 12% more productive, unhappier workers were 10% less productive (Oswald. A., 2010 Economic Research Institute Journal). The study showed that for every 15% of problematic employees, it took 90% of the effort on the management’s time to solve the problem. Cost of absenteeism is between two to three times higher than direct medical costs. (Bates, 2006). There are multiple life problems that can affect the welfare of employees and a holistic way to detect and manage those causes is vital.

Hot Picks Innovation Business Opportunities



This invention offers a comprehensive approach to manage counseling more effectively. Called the ENAI Counseling Management System (“ENAI-CMS”), it is a feature-rich counseling management solution that allows users to manage counseling and all counseling-related aspects via the web. It offers an innovative three-tiered programme to give employers and employees access to an array of services that address personal life challenges and improves workplace productivity and performance. It incorporates a complete counseling management package that enables counseling online for internal usage or externally. The ENAI-CMS provides a one-stop solution for any organisations, big or small. The software supports a wide range of Windows platform with all components running purely on Open Source solution. Installed on a dedicated or shared hosted server, ENAI-CMS gives users complete control. The software includes the entire source-code for greater fl exibility and integration for users’ project requirements. In addition, with simple installation, the users get to run the software in an instant without much hassle. ENAI-CMS offers extensive user-friendly functionality that makes using the application enjoyable and effective. ENAI-CMS is an effective system to reach targeted employees who are facing life-related problems, which can hamper one’s productivity and performance level. Through ENAI-CMS, it can dramatically increase productivity.

Market Potential

According to Workplace and Mental Health Statistics compiled by the American Psychological Association, two-thirds of both men and women say work has a signifi cant impact on their stress levels, and one in four has called in sick or taken a “mental health day” as a result of work stress. (American Psychological Association, 2004). Productivity losses related to personal and family health problems cost U.S. employers $1,685 per employee per year, or $225.8 billion annually (Stewart et al., 2003). Health insurance premiums have increased at a rate of more than three times the growth in workers’ earnings and two-and-a-half times the rate of infl ation (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005). A review of 73 published studies of worksite health promotion programmes shows an average savings of $3.50 for every dollar spent, in terms of reduced absenteeism and healthcare costs (Aldana, S. G., 2003). A review of 42 published studies of worksite health promotion programs shows an average 28% reduction in sick leave absenteeism, 26% reduction in healthcare costs, 30% reduction in workers’ compensation and disability management claims costs with a corresponding $5.93 savings for every dollar spent (Chapman, L. S., 2003). With savings in the billions, there is defi nitely a huge demand for non-conventional,

pro-active and user-friendly counselling management packages that enable counselling to be conducted effectively online.

Competitive Advantage

• Pro active approach, time saving, effi cient data management and high confi dentality

• Offers extensive user-friendly functionality that makes using the application enjoyable and effective

• Allows users to manage counseling and all counseling-related aspects via the web

• Web-based assessment and data analysis

Intellectual Property

This invention is protected under copyright

What’s Next?

The inventor is interested to engage potential licensors to establish business partnerships or commercialisation activities/ arrangements to bring this invention to the market.

Dr. Ng Sing KweiCommercialisation Specialist PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn BhdE-mail: [email protected]




Virtual Reality Surgery Platform for Cataract Surgery

Do You Know?

Cataract is the world’s leading cause of blindness, with around 18 million people being blind as a result. Although cataract is found all over the world, getting treatment for it is much more diffi cult in developing countries, and it affects children as well as adults. Many people are needlessly blind from cataract because they don’t know that it can be cured.

A cataract is a clouding of the lens, which lead to a decrease in vision. Cataracts are not a disease, but rather a condition affecting the eye. This causes gradual impairment of vision. If left untreated, cataracts can cause blindness. The development of cataracts is a normal part of the aging process, however they can result from a number of other reasons as well. Cataracts are normally treated with surgery.

Like other surgical procedures, master-apprentice training model is applied for cataract surgery training. Medical practitioners either assist or observe in surgical operations performed by professional ophthalmologists.

They usually undergo their practice in wet-labs on animal eyes, which have different anatomy and mechanical properties, compared with human eyes. Although it is an alternative for cataract surgery training problems such as ethical issues on animal experimentation and high fi nancial costs are involved.

To overcome the above problems, a virtual reality surgery platform is able to provide an alternative to conventional surgical planning and training.

What Is New?

“Eye Sim” is a virtual reality surgery platform. Eye Sim is a three dimensional (3D) human eye model integrated with eyeball and extraocular muscles movements for medical practitioners to feel, visualize and immerse into the realistic surgery atmosphere. It is a surgical simulator that is capable of providing repetitive practice for specifi c surgical procedures and training.

It consists of a haptic device that is equipped with a computer to provide force feedback and allows users to




control the virtual surgical instruments by using hand’s motion in the simulator, which is the same as in actual surgical condition.

Junior and professional ophthalmologists will be able to do medical training and planning on the exact patients’ eye model after obtaining the details from MRI scan. Surgical concerns such as size of cornea incision and damage on posterior capsule are implemented into the simulator to improve ophthalmologists’ awareness during actual surgery. In addition, performance evaluation is applied in the simulator to rate the users’ performance and reference for further improvement on their skills.

What Is The Business Opportunity?

The Eye Sim simulates a live surgery by using 3-D models, realistic surgery equipment and haptic feedback. Exact images can be taken of a patient’s eye to simulate real-life scenarios. This could prove useful for students and young surgeons who can practice before performing complicated eye surgeries. Further, students will be able to practice repeatedly and will not rely on access to animal subject for training.

Medical schools can use the Eye Sim to train the next generation of optalmologist to perform cataract surgeries and the system can be used 24/7.

Eye Sim can be marketed to private and public universities offering medical courses. The Eye Sim is a tool which can enhance the expertise of cataract surgeon, improve the training of medical students and it can be used as a research tool by the Research Institution.

Samantha LeongAssistant Vice PresidentPlaTCOM Ventures Sdn BhdE-mail: [email protected]


The Eye Sim application is protected by Copyright.

What’s Next?

The Eye Sim is ready to be licensed, marketed and manufactured by interested companies.




Paperless digital Interactive audit checklist

Snapshot

Safety audits are a crucial part of any industry, particularly industries like the oil and gas sector. On oilrigs for example, it is essential that regular audits be carried out to ensure everything is in working order. The traditional manner of carrying out a safety audit has been a “paper intensive” method; there are several disadvantages to this. Variations in reporting style, handwriting, and language can all result in confl icting audit reports.

The team has thus created a simple to use safety-auditing app that is fully customizable, intuitive, cross-platform and supports multiple devices.

The Solution

The innovation is a paperless digital interactive audit checklist that uses a mobile device or tablet. Audits can be performed directly on the device, using a simple yet comprehensive checklist that is fully customizable based on the user’s requirements. Audits will also include

pictures, videos and digital signatures. The application is available on all mobile technology platforms such as iPad, iPhone, Android and Windows mobile phones and tablets.

The application comes in two variants:

• Basic – the app is installed as a standalone app and works in offl ine mode only.

• Advanced – for large organizations with many different types of on-site audit requirements; comes with the tablet and server versions of the app; multiple audit templates can be created from the server app; works both in offl ine and online environments

Competitive Advantage

• Go green with paperless audit reporting process – Data is entered straight into the app. The sever app automatically generates a report in .pdf format which can then be emailed to the manager.




• Fast and effi cient audit process – since the app can capture photos and videos along with the checklist data, the entire audit process becomes seamless and thus much faster.

• Avoid human errors in entering audit data – differences in language usage, handwriting and even analysis of situations can all lead to erroneous reporting. This app will eliminate most of those human errors.

• Systematically organized audit reports – since the application can be fully customized to the users needs, either a single or multiple reporting formats can be selected.

Commercial Opportunity

According to an impact assessment report by the European Union, over 90% of oil and over 60% of gas produced in Europe (EU and Norway) comes from offshore operations. Offshore operations (exploration and exploitation) are on-going in the territorial waters of 11 Member States. Furthermore, some other Member States plan to commence drilling activities in the near future. In total, over 1,000 offshore installations are operating in European waters (including Norway). There are more than 6,000 wells, more than 400 of them in Italian and Spanish waters. These numbers are growing despite an overall decline in hydrocarbon production. The average cost of major offshore accidents was estimated to be €65 million, whereas the annual well blowout cost was estimated between €205-915 million (European Commission: Proposal for the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Safety of Offshore Oil and Gas Prospection, Exploration and Production Activities)

Faizal Abdul HamidManager, PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn BhdE-mail: [email protected]


The invention is a trade secret.

What’s Next?

This innovative solution is market-ready and available for commercialisation via licensing.




Innovative Micro Carrier Production for Halal Vaccines

The Innovation

“The innovation is a novel method of Halal micro carriers using polystyrene beads with bovine gelatine solution for vaccine production which complies to Halal requirements according to International Islamic standards.”

The Big Picture

Halal Economy has been identifi ed as the new emerging economy and the potential engine growth for both domestic and export economy in Muslim countries. With close to 2 billion Muslims making up the foundation, and with Halal products increasingly used by the general consuming public all over the world, the Halal market represents the appearance of a new economic paradigm that is on the tipping point of becoming a global movement. Halal vaccines and medicine is an important component of the Halal industry chain and there is still an unmet market. To address this gap, an innovative breakthrough in producing Halal micro carrier was introduced.

What’s In The Bottle?

This innovation is the fi rst of its kind to be developed to produce Halal vaccines. The innovation is a novel process for enhancing the adhesion and wettability of polystyrene bead for improved absorption of gelatine. In addition, the material used for producing the microcarrier is strictly based on Halal requirements according to Islamic practice. These processes for producing the micro carriers have the following advantages:

• It is compatible for Vero cell growth which is often used in the production of vaccines

• The process provides enhanced absorption of gelatine which enhances and promotes cell growth

• It is in compliance with Halal requirements based on the process and substances used




Great Investment Opportunity

The Asia Pacifi c vaccine landscape is characterised by vast diversity. For instance, while 15 poorer Asian countries are eligible for funding from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) program, the continent is also home to developed countries, such as Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and emerging economies, such as India, Malaysia, Thailand and China. Many in the latter group are self-suffi cient in funding national vaccination programs and even have a local vaccine industry. For example, vaccination is freely available to 95% of children in rich countries like Brunei. The country is currently focusing on the introduction of combination vaccines and the injected polio vaccine, while also investigating needle-free administration technologies. One of the issues highlighted by Brunei delegates is a potential preference for products manufactured according to Halal standards in Muslim countries. Currently, several micro carriers used in vaccine production commercialized by major players such as GE Healthcare and SoloHill Engineering are coated with porcine gelatin and this is considered non-halal for Muslim consumption. Hence, presently there are no approved Halal micro carriers available in the market and this innovative breakthrough will be a good business opportunity to address the need of Halal vaccines in the global market.



This innovation is patent protected under the Malaysian Patents Act 1983.

What’s Next?

The innovative micro carrier production for Halal vaccines is anticipating technology collaboration with interested companies.




A New Opportunity with Germinated Brown Rice Health Cereal

Germinated Brown Rice (Gbr) As Base Ingredients For Functional Foods And Beverages

Germinated Brown Rice (GBR) is a new marketable rice product which is produced by a process of time scaled and digital imaging germination. During the process of germination, scarifi cation softens the endosperm, and dormant enzymes are activated, which increases the amount of digestible vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and many antioxidants. Because of these bioactive elements, especially gamma butyric amino acid (GABA) and ferulates, the nutritional values in GBR are higher compared to Brown Rice (BR) and White rice. In addition, germination softens the outer layer of rice and makes it more digestible and easier to cook. Since there is an explosion of bioactive with many health benefi ts, GBR can be designed as bio factories producing important compounds for functional foods, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical.

It is a 4-in-1 body treatment backed by 15 scientifi c journals published by one of Malaysia’s most reputable universities. This easy to consume health product is ready for commercialisation.

Applications

This instant cereal will be used as a base ingredient for a variety of products. Such products are daily products used by consumers like:

• GABA Rice

• Instant Drink

• Energy Snack Bar

• Cereal Flakes




Product Features

GBR contains a high amount of the following compounds and nutrients mentioned below:

• γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA)

• γ-Oryzanol (only found in rice)

• tocotrienol and tocopherols

• ferulic acid

• dietary fi bre

This innovative product is ready for commercialisation and comes in three fl avours:• Instant Healthy Drink (Vanilla Flavor)• Instant Heathy Drink (Cocoa Flavor)• Instant Healthy Drink (Stevia)

Product Benefi ts

In general, the technology used to produce GBR is an innovative patented process. It is able to enhance the content of normal brown rice and maximize its nutritional value. This healthy cereal drink is highly benefi cial for everyone especially people with specifi c illnesses such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, depression and cardiovascular diseases.

Health Properties of GBR:

• Anti-Diabetic

• Cardio-Protective

• Slows Down The Progress Of Alzheimer’s Disease

• Slows Down Skin Aging Process

• Anti-Obesity


Our process of germination is researched to yield the highest amount of antioxidants in each brown rice is a trade secret.

What’s Next?

The inventors are seeking for an interested party to distribute the product, which is market ready.


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HIP2-TCP : Malaysian innovators discovered

Two Malaysian companies have been selected by PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn Bhd to bring their innovations to the next level of development. Global market penetration.After months of assessment and evaluation, Zar Cosmetics Sdn Bhd and Pixelbyte Sdn Bhd, which were among 17 shortlisted SMEs out of 245 entries in the High Impact Programme 2- Technology Commercialisation Programme(HIP2-TCP), have emerged fruitful with the timely completion of their respective innovations.

Lana cocoa-based cosmeceuticals

Zar Cosmetics, which was established in 2009, is a bumiputera natural products company that specialises in F&B, agriculture and Information Technology, among others. Through its participation in the HIP2-TCP programme, the Lana Cocoa-Based Cosmetic range was developed based on formulation that uses cocoa liquor, cocoa powder and cocoa butter.

Dr K Pathmanathan, Group CEO of Zar Cosmetics said the company decided to produce cocoa-based cosmetic products after attending the InnoSeed programme organised by PlaTCOM Ventures in July last year.

“We stumbled upon some very innovative beauty cosmeceutical products. So we decided to venture into cocoa-based beauty line knowing that it would be a great addition to our existing range at Zar Cosmetics,” Dr Pathmanathan said.

“That was when we engaged with PlaTCOM to help us out,” he said. According to him, Zar Cosmetics was then connected with the Malaysian Cocoa Board to sign a partnership agreement with the company.

“We are different because Lana products are targeted at hospitals and hotel groups and we are keen to introduce it to the Third World countries like Africa and India, where the people appreciate the natural benefi ts of cocoa in everyday life,” explained Dr Pathmanathan.

“After having gone through numerous negotiations, agreements and trademarking processes, we are fi nally able to introduce our products abroad. And all this was done within a span of seven months with assistance from PlaTCOM,” said Dr Pathmanathan.

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key aspects that would determine an innovation with a potential for market commercialisation,” said Dr Viraj Perera, Chief Executive Offi cer of PlaTCOM Ventures.

“We are looking for people who are driven to make their ideas happen,” Perera stated.

PlaTCOM Ventures strategic involvement in national innovations

Established in April 2014, with the collaboration between Agensi Inovasi Malaysia(AIM) and SME Corporation of Malaysia, PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn Bhd has undertaken the pivotal role of helping SMEs commercialise their innovations by removing market and fi nancing barriers. The company provides necessary support from ‘concept’ to ‘commercialisation’ through the provision of access to technical assistance, market intelligence, incubation facilities, testing facilities and other relevant services – all in one single platform.

For more information, log on to www.platcomventures.com or email to [email protected]

With assets in excess of RM1million, Zar Cosmetics’ goal is to spearhead the local skincare and cosmetic industry by producing halal and nature-based product lines targeted at local and overseas markets.

ParkEasy : Parking blues no more

25-year old Eric Tan, CEO of PixelByte Sdn Bhd certainly had not expected much when his team approached PlaTCOM Ventures in November 2014.

The group of young men who founded the soon-to-be-talk-abouttown android application, ParkEasy, were a classic case of serendipity when their innovation was met with positive feedback from their prospects.

“We initially went to PlaTCOM for their system patenting services, but when they saw what we got, they were immediately keen to put us through the HIP2-TCP programme. And they even helped us to refi ne our business development plan,” said Tan, who is a system architect by profession.

According to Tan, ParkEasy is a parking system that aims to solve the Malaysian parking woes by integrating the Red-Green Sensor with smartphone application through local data-logger and web server.

“It is an upgrade to the existing Red-Green parking guide system that we have today. And although it does help to alleviate parking problems than before, it still takes driving around in circles before a driver comes across a vacant spot,” Tan highlighted.

“The way ParkEasy solves the problem is by showing a bird’s eye view of the entire car park coupled with an intelligent locating system that navigates its driver to an available space,” Tan explained, adding that users can also book their parking before arriving at their destination.

Formed in 2014, PixelByte specialises in Bluetooth and wireless technology solutions with core business activities which include providing solutions for smart city projects under MDeC’s Digital Malaysia initiative. The company has a paid-up capital of RM100,000 upon commencement of operation.

HIP2-TCP, credible platform

“Every now and then we would have companies interested in having their ideas funded, but when we come across companies like Zar Cosmetics and Eric’s company who are very passionate and specialised in their area of expertise, we immediately identifi ed the

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Dragon’s Den Event, in conjunction with USTART Conference 2015

21 January 2015 – PlaTCOM Ventures Sdn Bhd in collaboration with University of Malaya Centre of Innovation and Commercialisation (“UMCIC”) recently organised PlaTCOM USTART Dragon’s Den, an exciting pitching event that connected entrepreneurs, researchers, and private investors in various industries to develop and commercialise radical solutions to the world’s challenges.

Organised in conjunction with the University Start-Up Conference (“U-Start 2015”), PlaTCOM USTART Dragon’s Den was an ideal pitching ground designed for startup companies to present their innovations to investors and funders. Companies were pitching to a panel and investors in a professionally moderated format. PlaTCOM USTART Dragon’s Den featured 10 early-stage university startups presenting to a panel of top experts in technology transfer and commercialisation. Panellists were invited to share their invaluable perspective and vast knowledge on technology investment and aspiring startup companies were able to engage potential investors, gain practical feedback and

actionable advice to expand their businesses to the next level in real-time!

Prof Rofi na, UMCIC Director, commented, “It was great to be a part of this exhilarating event and witness how aspiring entrepreneurs and startup businesses in early stage mode seeking investment for their products or services. Seeing them presenting their cases to accredited investors and other interested parties and ultimately propelling their businesses to greater heights was something truly amazing”.

Dr. Viraj Perera, Chief Executive Offi cer of PlaTCOM, commented “I wish to convey my special thanks to University of Malaya Centre of Innovation and Commercialisation (“UMCIC”) for giving us the opportunity to co-organise this exhilarating event. As the national technology commercialisation platform of Malaysia, PlaTCOM is actively playing its part to ensure that universities continue to churn out cutting-edge, successful and sustainable startups”. “Universities are by no means commercial entities, but there are a number

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of factors that allow them to create successful startups. Universities attract both ambitious and smart people, houses students from multidisciplinary backgrounds and provide a means for such individuals to generate new knowledge. Connecting previously unconnected bodies of knowledge is the core of tomorrow’s innovation”, he added.

As the de facto national technology commercialisation platform of Malaysia, PlaTCOM will continue to play a key role in assisting potential companies to grow into successful businesses. Relevant initiatives catered specifi cally to assist SME companies at various stage of their development will be designed and organised accordingly.

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PlaTCOM InnoSeed Event – February 2015

Kuala Lumpur, 12th February 2015 – After two successful InnoSeed IPR roadshow events, PlaTCOM Ventures launched the 3rd InnoSeed, which was focused on Malaysian-developed intellectual properties in the Electrical and Electronics sector. This event successfully managed to garner interest from approximately 35 companies, which were both small and medium entrepreneurships (“SMEs”), and also larger companies and multi-nationals. Some of the event participants were Polis DiRaja Malaysia (“PDRM”), SIRIM Berhad, and Willowglen Berhad. Several guests from the South East Asian region were also present, which is an indication that there is an international interest in our home-grown intellectual properties.

It is important to note that the commercialisation pathway of IP and technologies is a relatively diffi cult one; this is possibly the main reason why many brilliant innovations never see commercial success. Understanding this, PlaTCOM Ventures created a programme that is tailor-made for Malaysian SMEs, to provide comprehensive support services along the entire commercialisation pathway. These services, referred to as “end-to-end facilitation” by PlaTCOM, accelerate the development of

commercially viable innovations as well as creating new Intellectual Property Rights (“IPRs”). The InnoSeed event is one of the many initiatives of PlaTCOM’s programme.

Each PaTCOM InnoSeed event is based on a specifi c industry theme. Key market players and investors are invited to see various theme-based technologies and innovations from Malaysian SMEs, universities and research institutes. The theme focus has a two-fold advantage; the market players and investors get to see the latest in Malaysian IP of that particular theme, whereas the IP owners will get a personalised session with the market players and investors, thus getting a great insight into the sector’s need.

Besides innovation exhibits, one of the main components of the InnoSeed event is the talks by prominent speakers from the sector. For this edition, two speakers were invited to give their perspective on the Electrical and Electronics sector:

1. Mr Lars Myrup, Senior Retail Executive and Team Leader, Loewe Ag, Germany – Mr Myrup was formerly the Regional General Manager (Asian

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region) of Bang & Olufsen, a well-known European premium consumer electronic brand. His experience in the E&E sector was very evident and his insights and advise was indispensable.

2. Mr Alexander Jarvis, founder, 50-Folds, Malaysia – Mr Jarvis has a wealth of experience in the startup scene. Among his career achievements was being the Managing Director of Rocket Internet, which is one of the largest venture builders in the world. Mr Jarvis gave the audience a quirky and fun but valuable presentation about the startup scene and how to overcome commonly faced problems and hurdles.

In regard to the innovation exhibits, the PlaTCOM team was on hand to demonstrate various products sourced

from local universities, research institutes and SMEs. The products ranged from a complete aquaculture sensor system, to a 360-degree security camera system, to an optical fi bre dosimeter.

The event, offi ciated by Mr Mark Rozario (CEO of AIM), was held at SME Corp Malaysia’s offi ce at Platinum Sentral, Kuala Lumpur. It has generated many leads from SMEs who are looking into expanding their products lines and opening new business opportunities.

Please check PlaTCOM’s website (www.platcomventures.com) for future InnoSeed events and other PlaTCOM services that may benefi t your organisation. Contact [email protected] for any other questions.

My Story



Interview with Eric Tan

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I would describe myself as a solution oriented person. Whenever I face a problem, I don’t ask why is this happening to me, instead I search for solution to prevent it from happening to me again.

2. Who will benefi t from your technology?

Any who drives a car in the city will benefi t from the system. Parking is the most annoying part of driving in the city and we will solve it.

3. How is it different from existing parking systems?

It is different because we are close to a fully automated system and only require minimal human intervention.

4. What inspired the ideation or invention of this technology?

The trouble getting a place to park in the city is what inspired my idea for this technology.

5. How did you fund your idea?

The idea was funded through the HIP-2 program by PlaTCOM Ventures.

6. Share with us the challenges you faced when commercializing your technology.

We are a B2B2C business, when we design the application, we need to cater our product to both sides of the market.

7. From your experience, how has PlaTCOM helped facilitate this process?

Platcom provided all the necessary legal support including trademarking / drafting contracts and of course, patenting at much start-up friendly cost. IN addition to that, of course they also provided us with the grant needed for the development and testing of our fi rst version currently installed and soon ready to test this month.

In addition to that, the team in PlaTCOM are exceptionally professional and helpful when giving advice and guidance.

8. What is PixelByte’s next big move within the year?

The target for this year is to close at least 2 major malls and diversifi ed our smart parking solution.

9. What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Focus on solutions to improve the life of others and not just your own wealth. Success will fi nd its way to you.

About PixelByte Sdn. Bhd.

PixelByte Sdn Bhd was established in 2014 and is located in Subang Jaya. The company paid-up capital of RM 100,000. PixelByte Sdn Bhd specializes in Bluetooth/wireless technology solutions. The company’s core business activities include providing solution for smart city projects under MDeC’s Digital Malaysia initiative. PixelByte Sdn Bhd introduced an innovative parking system known as ParkEasy. ParkEasy solves the trouble of “searching” for parking by integrating the Red-Green Sensor with smartphone application through local data-logger and web-server. The current system of parking navigation only focuses on the use of red-green and some navigation sign boards but it is clearly not good enough as we still spend a considerable amount of time searching for parking. The way ParkEasy solves the problem is by showing a bird’s eye view of the entire car park and in addition to that, intelligent allocation system will help to allocate parking space based on availability and distribute according to distance among users of ParkEasy.

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july - september 2014 · january - march 2015 from the editor in-chief spin-out or spin-off...

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