DSA, NATSEC Asia 2026: Public Universities Ink 16 Defence Tech Agreements

KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 (Bernama) -- Three public universities under the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) have made history by signing 16 strategic agreements with various defence industry partners from the domestic and international sectors.

The signing ceremony took place in conjunction with the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security (NATSEC) Asia 2026 Exhibition at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) here today.

The exchange of documents was witnessed by Higher Education director-general Datuk Prof Dr Azlinda Azman at the Astaka KPT, involving Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM), Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) and Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP).

Azlinda said the Astaka KPT programme serves as a golden opportunity to directly connect academic research outputs with defence industry players.

“This is a platform for public universities to showcase innovative products that have been developed, enabling innovations not yet picked up by industry players to be evaluated and adapted to the needs of the security sector.

“We gather these innovations in one pavilion so that industry players can easily view, assess, and identify suitable products to further enrich strategic collaborations,” she said after the ceremony.

The 16 agreements comprise seven Memoranda of Agreement (MoA), four Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), three Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) and two Letters of Intent (LoI).

UPNM recorded the highest number with 14 agreements, while UMPSA and UniMAP each recorded one agreement.

Azlinda said more than 75 per cent of the agreements signed today are focused on defence technology and technical knowledge transfer, covering missile systems and artillery ballistics, drone technology and unmanned aerial systems (UAS), cybersecurity, as well as rocket and satellite technology.

“For example, UMPSA is bringing innovations related to drones, including spy drones and delivery drones.

“UTHM is showcasing training bomb designs for practice purposes, while UPNM is presenting its area of expertise, namely artificial intelligence and cyber defence,” she said.

The Astaka KPT, which will operate until April 23, brings together nine public universities under one roof to showcase 12 local research innovation products covering defence technology, cybersecurity and autonomous systems.

-- BERNAMA