LETTER | Being a youth today in Asia is quite an opportune moment.

Last July, McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) released a paper titled “Asia’s future is now” which posited that Asia is on track to achieve the top 50 percent of global GDP by 2040 and drive 40 percent of the world’s consumption.

This presents a limitless opportunity for our youth; our leaders of tomorrow; to drive societal or economic change, as our region steps onto the global map and becomes the centre of gravity.

We no longer need to look elsewhere to be impactors but can influence change right from here. With Malaysia moving towards a knowledge-based industry, the sky is the limit for those between 24 to 35 as the conditions are ripe for them to succeed.

The youth in Malaysia have a lot to be proud of - they have broken barriers and used technology to impact change in their respective communities.

For example, Umar Wafi Zulkafri from Klang developed the Anti-Bully Notification System to stop bullying in his sister’s primary school after she was subjected to bullying almost on an everyday basis.

Mohd Saifullah Halim from Kedah started a pesticide business using agriculture drones during the movement control order which helped paddy farmers meet their business needs while observing the stay-at-home guidelines.

William Koong and his army of volunteers stepped up to provide PPE gear to hospitals across the Klang Valley with the aid of 3D printers as did the volunteers from the Biji-biji group.

These are just a few accounts of the many inspiring youths who are breaking norms in Malaysia to impact their communities. I’m sure the generations to come will be impact-changers too and I hope that parents of today and tomorrow will encourage their children to reach for the stars and not limit their creative and innovative streaks.

There will be avenues available for them to shine as innovation will be a key component of national efforts to drive change with the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (MOSTI) rolling out the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS) in the middle of July. NTIS will empower innovators with the know-how to validate their products, obtain funding, gain procurement access and regulatory clarity among others.

The 2018 GE Global Innovation Barometer revealed that, in spite of facing significant and complex challenges, business leaders in Malaysia are feeling more confident when it comes to driving growth through innovation. According to its press release, the Barometer highlighted new innovation champions on the horizon, as Asia and emerging markets are perceived as being more innovative than in previous years while the US and Germany drop in their innovation champion status.

Recognising the significance of innovation for the development of the economy, Akademi Sains Malaysia is working hand in hand with MOSTI to build a conducive innovation ecosystem through the 10-10 STIE Framework. The framework was developed using the Appleton model of fusing the 10 identified technologies with the 10 identified economic sectors to empower the economic growth of countries in the tropics like Malaysia.

We hope that with this ecosystem, our youth will have more opportunities to showcase their creativity and innovative spirit and address our nation’s research and development capability in issues related to the tropics.

Asia is the way forward and our youth will be able to shine as bright as the stars in our tropical skies with the opportunities that await them. With this forward-thinking national agenda, our youth will be able to help steward Malaysia’s growth in this new era as well as put forth innovative solutions to situations or issues that are unique to countries in the tropics.

To our youth, happy international youth day! Our country is better because you are here. Countries like Malaysia and its counterparts in Southeast Asia and Asia will be where the action is in the next two decades and more and our youth will be the drivers of change as one of the bigger members of the population. Through the Mahathir Science Award, we aspire to recognise scientists that have a breakthrough in solving problems in the tropics.

We look forward to not only the socio-economic innovative approaches our youth will lead but also innovative research projects that the next generation will embark on to benefit the country.

The writer is the CEO of Akademi Sains Malaysia.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.