Kuala Lumpur, 13 June, 2017. YB Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) is leading a science and technology fraternity delegation to Expo 2017 Astana, Kazakstan. Members of his delegation, comprising of senior officials from MOSTI, Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation (Bioeconomy Corporation), SIRIM Berhad, Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia (YIM) and representatives from private sectors, will be showcasing Malaysia’s prowess in science, technology and innovation during week three of the Expo from 26 – 30 June 2017. Themed ‘Green Innovation, Powering your Future’, the 5 day exhibition focuses on sustainability of renewable biological resources and conversion into value added products in the food, bio-chemicals, energy and healthcare wellness industries, via innovative and efficient technologies.

The five-day event will comprise of Presentation Sessions, followed by Product Demonstrations, and Business Matching services daily throughout the entire duration of the event. This daily event will be spearheaded by the agencies participating at this event together with the private sector representatives. There will be three (3) Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) exchange:

i. Ronser Biotech with Nusantara Associates LLP Kazakhstan

ii. iCYCLE Malaysia Sdn Bhd, sponsored by MMU (Multimedia University) 2016 with GuangZhou TianHe area & Kerala India

According to YB Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, MOSTI’s participation is to explore new opportunities for collaborations and to attract investments from institutions and companies located in the Central Asia region.

“Potential investments in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), incorporating green and bio-based technologies are expected from Central Asia in the foreseeable future. Our priority would be to initiate talk with strategic business partners who are also proponents of innovations, and at the same time to present Malaysia’s value proposition to investors in the region. This two-way collaborative approach leverages on the comparative advantages from both side, where both parties can explore how it can complement one another to improve market access for products and services, and towards promoting more cross-border investments,” he added.

Jointly organised by MOSTI, Bioeconomy Corporation, SIRIM and YIM, the event serves as a platform to disseminate information on current Science, Technology & Innovation efforts in providing a platform for Malaysian bio-based companies and entrepreneurs to tap into the vast experience, knowledge and innovation within the ecosystem while providing necessary support for the business development activities in bringing in FDIs as well as market access for Malaysian companies.

Mr. Zainal Azman Abu Kasim, Senior Vice President, BioIndustrial, Bioeconomy Corporation who is also the Project Director for week three Expo 2017 Astana, said, ”MOSTI and Bioeconomy Corporation is excited to be invited to exhibit at Expo 2017 Astana, Kazakhstan. This is an excellent opportunity for Malaysian science and technology businesses to explore the Kazakhstan market which is the largest in Central Asia. The Malaysian companies we are bringing to Expo 2017 Astana 2017 are mainly in biotechnology and green innovation.”

“Climate change, global air quality and the overall state of the environment are, without question, some of the most harrowing issues facing the world today. Companies and organizations all over the globe are recognizing the harmful effects of their practices and putting forth a genuine effort to go green. Malaysian companies participating at Expo 2017 Astana is active players in providing solutions for the environment”.

He said Bioeconomy Corporation has been working closely with all the related stakeholders from the policy makers, implementers, industry players and other government agencies to promote and coordinate the development of bio-based and sustainable innovation.

Some of the exhibitors involved in Expo 2017 Astana from Malaysia are Free the Seed Sdn Bhd (Biodegradable food packaging), Ronser Biotech Sdn. Bhd. (Organic Waste Water Treatment), Cube Global Sdn. Bhd. (Forest Mapping Solutions), Caiser UKM (Development of Intelligent System), iCycle Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (Recycling System /Solution), Muhibbah Sinergia Resources Sdn Bhd (Halal, Organic & innovative products) and 3 MOSTI’s agencies under – Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia (YIM), Sirim Berhad & Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation.

Expo 2017 Astana is opened on June 10, 2017. 100 countries and more than 10 international organizations will take part in the International Specialized Exhibition. Over 3,000 themed, cultural and entertainment events are scheduled to take place during the 93 days that the Expo will be open.

The main theme of EXPO-2017 is “Energy of the Future”. It reflects the preoccupation of the international community with the problem of energy consumption, which is having an increasing impact on our planet. The main objective of the exhibition is to call for responsibility, to foster a discussion and to develop knowledge enabling people to plan and control energy consumption on our planet and to minimize damage to the environment.

It is expected that the exhibition will be visited by more than 5 million visitors. It is planned that 85% of the total number of visitors will be citizens of Kazakhstan, and 15% – foreign nationals, most of which will come from the CIS countries and China. A significant number of tourists is also expected to arrive from Europe, Turkey and the United States.

EXPO Entrance Ticket are priced at 6,000 Kazakhstan Tenge (KZT) equivalent to approximately RM 82.62. To date, there are 19 Expo 2017 Astana official ticket offices nationwide in Kazakhstan. The Exhibition’s official ticket selling website is launched for selling tickets around the world at tickets.expo2017astana.com from 10 June 2016.