One of the ways to enhance commercialisation through R&D is through

biotechnology development. Biotechnology is the global technology for

21st century. It helps to build up our research community and creates
tremendous benefits for not only herbal industries, generating new
products and job opportunities. Biotechnology development will ensure
our country herbal industry to have ability to process herb materials to
higher value products from low cost production of the herb materials.
As we known, Malaysia is rich in biological resources and therefore can
be the source of natural products and can lead to new
pharmaceuticals. (Christopher D. Howe, 1997, pg. 315) Several
biotechnology develop has been done in Malaysia. One of the common
utilized biotechnology tool by Malaysia is tissue culture through
Genetic Engineering to produce fast growing plants that contain high
amount of beneficial phytochemicals.(Ramlan, 2010, pg31) However,
biotechnology development in our country is much more critical
compare with other countries due to some reasons. One of the
challenges face by local herbal industry is lack of talents and welltrained work force who can define and devise strategies. The other
problem is infrastructure capable of main-training biotechnological
research and development. (Kenneth L. Giles, 2007, pg. 273) Most of
the university structure and research facilities in our country are not
fulfil biotechnology development due to economics limitations such as
expensive equipment and supplies necessary for many forms of
biotech. Some of the recommendations towards these problems are
send talents to learn from the countries which lead the biotechnology
development such as United Kingdom, Canada and so on. Besides that,
investment in biotechnology development should be done by both
government and private sector so that more innovative and creative
strategies can be carried out by talents.