SENAI, Johor — The Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) is stepping up its nationwide outreach through the Road to Growth (R2G) 2026 Southern programme, aimed at connecting Johor businesses with technology commercialisation, investment and market expansion opportunities.
Held in collaboration with the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) as Strategic Ecosystem Partner, the programme provides businesses with access to industry insights, investment and commercialisation pathways, advisory support and potential strategic partners within the state and the wider national technology ecosystem.
MTDC said the initiative comes at an important time for Johor, which recorded the highest economic growth among Malaysian states in 2025 at 8.0 per cent, with its gross domestic product (GDP) reaching RM170.9 billion.
The state also remained Malaysia’s third-largest contributor to GDP, supported by the services, manufacturing and construction sectors.
“Johor’s strong industrial base and expanding regional connectivity present significant opportunities for Malaysian technology companies.
“However, transforming these opportunities into sustainable business growth requires more than promising technology. Companies must also have access to markets, investment, industry partners and the right commercialisation support,” MTDC Group Chief Executive Officer Ts. Hj. Mohammad Hazani Hj Hassan said.
He said R2G brought these elements together by connecting businesses with the wider ecosystem needed to progress from technology development towards adoption, commercial success and scale.
According to MTDC, Johor’s strategic position within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and its industrial capabilities are expected to create further opportunities in high-value sectors such as advanced manufacturing, aerospace, medical devices, artificial intelligence and digital services.
It said technology companies would nevertheless need to be commercially ready, connected to industry needs and equipped to access investment and markets to capitalise on these opportunities.
As Malaysia’s Deep Tech Enabler, MTDC supports technology companies in progressing from development to adoption and scale through funding and investment facilitation, business advisory, commercialisation support, capability development and strategic partnerships.
The R2G 2026 Southern programme features sharing sessions involving MTDC, IRDA, the Johor State Economic Planning Division (BPEN Johor), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and other ecosystem partners.
The sessions cover Johor’s economic and innovation landscape, technology commercialisation, investment opportunities, talent development and strategic partnerships for innovation-driven enterprises.
The programme also includes a MySTI workshop involving representatives from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), MRANTI and a MySTI-recognised company.
The workshop provides insights into technology validation, the MySTI recognition framework, government procurement opportunities and pathways for locally developed technologies to gain wider market access.
MTDC said participants could also engage directly with its officers and ecosystem partners to discuss their business requirements and explore potential support in funding and investment facilitation, business advisory, capability development and strategic collaboration.
The Southern edition follows R2G 2026 programmes held earlier in the Central Region and Sabah.
Through the series, MTDC aims to broaden access to Malaysia’s technology commercialisation ecosystem while strengthening ties among the government, industry, academia, investors and technology companies nationwide.
