IJN, tech group explore AI platform to support heart care

IJN Research has teamed up with Singularity Connect to explore home-grown AI solutions aimed at supporting heart specialists, research and patients.

PETALING JAYA: Artificial Intelligence (AI) could play a greater role in helping Malaysian heart specialists turn clinical data into actionable insights under a new collaboration aimed at developing home-grown AI solutions for cardiovascular and thoracic care.

Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) Research Sdn Bhd is collaborating with Malaysian technology group Singularity Connect Sdn Bhd to explore an agentic AI platform designed to support healthcare professionals, research and patient outcomes while keeping clinicians and patients at the centre of decision-making.

IJN Research chief research and innovation officer Prof Datuk Dr Suhaini Kadiman said the technology was intended to strengthen rather than replace the human element in healthcare.

“Healthcare is fundamentally human, and AI should strengthen, and not replace, that human connection,” he said.

He said combining clinical expertise and human judgement with responsible and explainable AI could support better decision-making and patient outcomes.

Suhaini said IJN’s structured clinical data ecosystem, integrated digital workflows and recent achievement of HIMSS EMRAM Stage 7, the highest level of digital maturity, provided a strong foundation for the initiative.

“Through our collaboration with Singularity Connect, we aim to harness Agentic AI to transform trusted clinical data into actionable intelligence while keeping clinicians and patients at the centre of every innovation,” he said.

He said the longer-term ambition was to develop human-centred healthcare AI that could be clinically validated in Malaysia before potentially being scaled across the region and beyond.

Singularity Connect group chief executive officer Ahmad Fauzi Ali said healthcare was among the sectors where AI had the potential to deliver meaningful and measurable impact, although technology alone would not be sufficient.

He said its development needed to be supported by clinical expertise, real-world healthcare knowledge and strong research capabilities.

“Through this partnership, we aim to demonstrate how Agentic AI can be applied responsibly and practically to support healthcare professionals, research and ultimately better health outcomes,” he said.

The collaboration was formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) exchanged at the National Innovation and Commercialisation Expo 2026 (NICE 2026) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre yesterday.

Under the collaboration, both parties will explore bringing together medical professionals, developers, data scientists, statisticians, bioinformaticians and other specialists to develop healthcare-focused AI applications.

They may also work with the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation and other innovation partners to help move potential technologies from research and development towards real-world application and commercialisation.

Specific programmes and projects have yet to be finalised and will be developed and agreed upon by both organisations.

Also present at the MoU signing were IJN Holdings Sdn Bhd deputy group chief executive officer Datuk Akmal Arief and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Chang Lih Kang.