Malaysia’s NTIS wins champion status at the World Summit on the Information Society 2026

[This is a press release by the National Technology & Innovation Sandbox (NTIS).]

The National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS) has been named a Champion at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2026 in Geneva, under Category 14: Action Line 7: E-science.

An annual global awards programme, WSIS Prizes celebrates outstanding digital and ICT-based initiatives that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The contest is organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and highlight success stories from government, private sectors, civil society, and academia.

Category 14: Action Line 7: E-science, focuses on leveraging information and communication technologies (ICTs) to advance scientific research, facilitate open data sharing, and foster global collaboration to achieve SDGs.

This win reinforces Malaysia’s position as a regional innovation leader and marks the nation’s strategic shift towards a dynamic “living lab” model, bridging the gap between innovation and market readiness.

Spearheaded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) with MRANTI as lead secretariat, NTIS has evolved since 2020 from a pilot initiative into a cornerstone of Malaysia’s innovation ecosystem.

The initiative provides a structured platform for researchers and startups to validate high-growth technologies, ensuring they are regulatory-compliant and commercially viable. Building upon the foundational achievements of the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12), the NTIS programme continues to accelerate its momentum well into the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13).

Since 2020, NTIS has facilitated over RM171.8 million in commercialisation value, approved RM147 million in funding to 147 projects, catalysed 388 high-income jobs, generated RM122.8 million in export value, and secured 39 new Intellectual Properties.

Reflecting on the achievement, YBhg. Dato’ Ts. Dr. Nagulendran Kangayatkarasu, Secretary General of MOSTI said, “This achievement reflects our commitment to elevating the competitiveness of homegrown technology companies. NTIS will continue to serve as a vital platform, addressing challenges faced by local startups and increasing the volume of commercialised innovations, thereby reducing dependency on foreign technology and strengthening local capabilities.”

Echoing this sentiment is Mr. Ashran Dato’ Ghazi, CEO of MRANTI, “Recognition as a WSIS Champion validates Malaysia’s progress through NTIS. We have demonstrated that with the right ecosystem, regulatory support, and partnerships, promising technologies can move from research to real-world deployment. This success belongs to the entire ecosystem of innovators, partners, and agencies that made this model possible.”

The programme’s success is underpinned by a collaborative multi-agency framework led by MRANTI as the lead secretariat, together with co-lead MTDC, and other secretariats MIMOS and Futurise. 

Together, these organisations play complementary roles in strengthening regulatory readiness, technology validation, commercialisation and ecosystem coordination, enabling Malaysian innovations to progress more effectively from development to market.

Building on this strong foundation, NTIS is now entering its next phase through the Global Testbed & Sandbox Alliance (GTSA), expanding its focus beyond national deployment towards greater international collaboration.

The initiative strengthens cross-border partnerships and regulatory harmonisation, enabling Malaysian innovators to scale solutions across ASEAN and global markets while engaging directly with UN bodies, international policymakers and leading innovation ecosystems.

Featured Image Credit: MRANTI