A Reassessment of the Roles of Technoscience Parks in Malaysia: Towards Developing A Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem

Technoscience parks, a policy tool in the 1970s and 1980s, have remained a popular policy tool today, particularly in response to the urgency of developing and strengthening knowledge-based economic growth. In general, this paper examines the historical evolution and potentials of technoscience parks as innovation support system in Malaysia. Specifically this study aims at exploring the motivating and hindering factors to successful development of technoscience parks in Malaysia. To achieve the stated objectives, this study employs a combination of case study, document-research, and interviews. Based on case studies conducted on several technoscience parks in Malaysia, it is found that the Malaysian technoscience parks are still lagging behind other technoscience parks in the world. Their roles are very much confined to low value-added activities with less emphasis on innovative performance. This article claims that a reassessment of the roles of technoscience parks should be given due consideration This article highlights the great potentials of technoscience parks as the vital support systems of innovation in Malaysia in enhancing effective governance of sustainability in science and technology. This study also offers some policy and managerial recommendations which they can take to review their progress, their plans as well as their roles in the innovation ecosystem