PUTRAJAYA, Aug 22 (Bernama) — The BioAgrotech & BioPharmaceutical Career and Entrepreneurship Programme 2.0 (BeST 2.0) will be expanded into new biotechnology-related subsectors, including artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and green energy technology, to ensure training modules remain aligned with industry needs.
Bioeconomy Corp chairman Datuk Dr Lee Boon Chye said the move will be carried out alongside databases and monitor industry trends to deliver more focused training modules.
“With this expansion, BeST 2.0 graduates will not only remain relevant to biotechnology and bio-based industries, but also be prepared for emerging technologies that will drive the nation’s bioeconomy,” he said at the BeST 2.0 Participants and Industry Players Appreciation Ceremony here today.
Launched in 2021, the programme has trained 561 graduates, exceeding its initial target of 400 under the 12th Malaysia Plan. Of that number, 91 per cent secured jobs in 92 biotechnology and bio-based companies, while more than 200 companies have registered as hosts, offering 1,900 opportunities.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang, who attended the event, said the achievements highlight BeST 2.0’s role in building Malaysia’s science, technology and innovation (STI) talent pool.
“The success of BeST 2.0 shows that we can produce an STI workforce that meets industry needs and drives the growth of biotechnology and the bioeconomy. Since BeST 1.0 was introduced in 2007, more than 3,000 graduates have completed the programme,” he said.
BeST 2.0 has also produced entrepreneurs, with 19 taking the entrepreneurial pathway through the Bioentrepreneurship Graduate Accelerator (BioeGAP).
For this year, Lee said 80 graduates are targeted for industry placements, with 91 already undergoing training across 37 host companies, including nine pursuing entrepreneurships with buy-back support from host firms.
He added that the Biokerjaya portal, launched in 2023 will be strengthened as the main job-matching platform, supported by closer ties with the industry, universities and TVET institutions. Micro-credential programmes will also be enhanced to meet industry requirements.
Bioeconomy Corp, established in 2005, is the lead economic development agency for Malaysia’s biotechnology and bio-based industries. It operates under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and is wholly owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc) and the Federal Lands Commissioner.
— BERNAMA
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