The representatives of IMTM traveled to Malaysia and Singapore last week within the Czech Biotech Mission, organized by the Agency CzechInvest in cooperation with the Czech Embassy in Malaysia. Patron of the event was Ambassador of Malaysia, His Excellency Rudolf Hykl.
The aim of the mission was to establish direct contact with Malaysian commercial, research, academic and governmental organizations in the field of biomedicine and biotechnology, and also to promote the Czech Republic in Malaysia in these areas.The delegation included three leading Czech biotechnological and biomedical research institutes – Biotechnology and Biomedicine Center of the Academy of Sciences and Charles University in Vestec, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine and Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. The program of the visit included a presentation and business-matching event called "English-Malaysian Biotechnology Initiative", which took place on November 3, 2014 in Kuala Lumpur. Presentations and discussions were also held at four major universities in the field of biomedical research and teaching in Kuala Lumpur, namely the University of Malaya, University Putra Malaysia, University Kebangsaan Malaysia and International Medical University.Mission members also discussed with government agencies to promote technology and innovation under the authority of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology and agents of Inovasi Malaysia. After the program in Kuala Lumpur, the delegation visited the biotech park Bio-Xcell in Johor Bahru. Commercially oriented projects were secured in collaboration with the Malaysian government agency Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation.The Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine in Olomouc was addressing potential applicants for doctoral postdoctoral studies in the Czech Republic by series of slideshows presenting the research programs of the Institute. Czech Biotech Mission in Malaysia was adopted in all the visited institutions at the highest level. The event was appreciated by the Malaysian side thanks to the quality of the Czech biomedical research. Already during the meeting, particular steps were agreed to establish cooperation in research, doctoral and post-doctoral studies, but also commercial activities in sectors of biomedicine and biotechnology. Among other things, the cooperation in commercializing of research results in the regions of Malaysia and the ASEAN countries. Continuing this initiative, there will be a visit of a delegation led by Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation to the Czech Republic.
