Researchers urged to partner with telcos for R&D funding, leverage Nadi centres - Fahmi
KUALA LUMPUR: Researchers and higher education institutions in the country should forge closer strategic collaborations with local telecommunication companies (telcos) to tap industry funding for research and development (R&D), Minister of Communications Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said.
KUALA LUMPUR: Researchers and higher education institutions in Malaysia must form stronger partnerships with local telecommunication companies (telcos) to receive industry funding for research and development (R&D), stated Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil. Telcos possess dedicated R&D funds and are eager to support research, particularly in connectivity and technological solutions.
Fahmi emphasized that researchers and students should work closely with telcos, as they are the future users of their services. Speaking at the University Research and Innovation Investment Summit 2026, Fahmi encouraged university researchers to collaborate more intimately with the industry to create greater value, especially when aided by artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
He also urged researchers to utilize the 1,099 National Information Dissemination Centres (Nadi) nationwide as "living labs" to test their products and innovations directly with rural communities. With a Nadi centre in every state constituency, including 156 in Sarawak, these facilities have enabled rural entrepreneurs to thrive, such as a woman in Dengkil, Sepang, who earns around RM45,000 a month selling buns online and offline via Nadi's facilities.
Fahmi highlighted that affordable, secure, and widely accessible high-speed internet could reverse rural-to-urban migration by allowing people to establish businesses in their home villages. Nadi centres now boast internet speeds up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps), far surpassing the 800 megabits per second (Mbps) speeds at Parliament.
Beyond internet access, Nadi centres serve as community referral hubs, parcel pick-up and drop-off points, skill training centers for sewing and phone repairs, and assistance points for government aid applications like Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR). Fahmi advised researchers not to isolate themselves in the "ivory tower" but to base their research on real-world needs to better Malaysia.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
