Innovation & Ventures (IV) at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) is focused on building an integrated innovation ecosystem that transforms research excellence into meaningful industrial, societal, and economic impact. Through close collaboration with academia, industry partners, government agencies, and entrepreneurs, IV aims to ensure that UTP’s research and innovation efforts are purpose-driven, market-relevant, and aligned with national and global priorities.
By collaborating with academia, corporations, and government entities, we emphasise research that matters and innovation that scales in the hope of building innovation ecosystems through collaboration with academia, corporations, government entities, and entrepreneurs. This approach ensures our work is high-impact, industry-relevant, and aligned with national and community priorities.
In this context, we are striving to lift the level at which research is translated into end-use applications. To ensure closer ties between UTP’s talented researchers and the businesses, we are transitioning from a 'technology-push' to an 'industry-pull' model, systematically aligning our research with articulated industry needs. We have established a structured innovation funnel with clear Technology Readiness Level (TRL) gates to guide ideas from the lab to the market.
UTP's focus is now centred on three 'Grand Challenges' where global needs meet UTP’s core strengths: Energy Security, Sustainable Living, and Regenerative Futures. These pillars drive our research efforts to help businesses achieve operational excellence and transition toward circular models. To ensure success, our Research Institutes are being realigned, with teams hand-picked and mentored to move research from 'curiosity-driven' activities to purposeful, high-impact agendas that align with National and PETRONAS priorities.
Over the past year, we have given serious thought to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Innovation & Ventures division. This has resulted in the initiation of a five-pronged strategy aimed at strengthening our resilience and consolidating our financial position:
1. We are establishing a robust nexus for technology transfer through TechComm and the UToPIA Accelerator to upscale research projects and expand their market potential. We have begun setting up a halal food technology transfer unit in Saudi Arabia and halal food block chain in Indonesia and the Philippines.
2. We are shifting our commercialisation strategy from a "technology-push" to an "industry-pull" model. By aligning our research directly with articulated industry needs and Grand Challenges, our commercialisation arm is therefore being strengthened to give us fresh perspectives on R&D opportunities and access to industry knowledge and expertise.
3. Recognising that university partnerships provide substantial research opportunities alongside the exchange of ideas and expertise, we are expanding regional collaboration. We will build on our established partnerships across Asia, the Middle East and Africa; we are extending our reach into BRICS and other emerging economies, alongside selected markets in Central Asia, Europe and the Americas.
4. To build the industries of the future, we are equipping professionals with advanced knowledge through corporate training & workforce skill development. We are playing a leading role in upskilling staff from PETRONAS and other corporations through high-impact Executive Series and hybrid immersive programmes, a world-class training
