Kota Kinabalu: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has established 33 living laboratories to translate research findings into practical solutions for communities in Sabah, its Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Mansur said.
He said the approach enabled UMS researchers to address community needs in areas including healthcare, food security, education and economic development.
“As a university rooted in Sabah, UMS always looks at the actual needs of the community.
“Our approach shows that good research begins by listening, followed by testing and improving solutions together with the community,” he said in his speech at the UMS Research Awards (APUMS) 2026 here recently.
Kasim cited a school in Pitas where UMS researchers were working in the field to develop a small-scale water treatment system for hostel students.
He said the living laboratory approach was in line with the UMS Strategic Plan 2023-2027, particularly its Translatable Research agenda, which sought to turn research findings into practices, technologies, policies or products that could be directly applied.
“The success of UMS research is not measured only by the awards received, but also by the changes that can be felt by the people of Sabah,” he said.
Kasim said UMS was ranked 214th in Asia in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026 and retained its five-star rating in the Malaysian Research Assessment Instrument (MyRA) audit in July.
He said UMS also secured RM18 million in external grant commitments through 103 grants between 2025 and September 2026.
He said the recognition of the Borneo Marine Research Institute as a Higher Education Centre of Excellence (HICoE) was important as Sabah needed scientific expertise to conserve its marine resources while developing their economic potential responsibly.
Kasim said UMS had also made progress in innovation, including the development of Glucomur Functional Gel, which won a Gold Award, Solar Vapour Generator and the patenting of AgroSpread technology.
He said UMS had established the CIPTA@UMS incubation hub to support the commercialisation of research findings by allowing researchers to test prototypes and assess market potential before developing them into products or services for industry.
Kasim also urged UMS researchers to uphold high standards of integrity in managing research data, publications and funding, while mentoring younger researchers to ensure the continuity of research excellence.
Sabah Head of State Tun Musa Aman, who is also UMS Chancellor, officiated APUMS 2026.
Also present were Chief Minister’s representative Datuk Caesar Mandela Malakun and UMS Board of Directors member Datuk Norali @ Ag Norali Ag Damit.
