KUALA LUMPUR: Arnee Ismail has joined the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) as Director of Strategic Communication, bringing more than two decades of experience in corporate communications, brand strategy and stakeholder engagement to the organisation’s leadership team.

Her appointment comes at a strategic time for MRANTI as it strengthens its role as Malaysia’s technology commercialisation accelerator and seeks to deepen connections across the country’s innovation ecosystem.

Arnee joins MRANTI from SME Bank, where she most recently served as Head of Strategic Communications. Over the course of her career, she has worked across business, government and diverse stakeholder networks, building extensive experience in managing institutional reputation, strategic messaging and stakeholder relationships.

In her new position, she will oversee MRANTI’s public relations and communications, brand, digital and events portfolios.

Her responsibilities will include strengthening MRANTI’s corporate positioning and enhancing engagement with industry players, investors, innovators, researchers, government agencies and other key stakeholders.

The appointment also comes as MRANTI continues to accelerate the transition of research and innovation from the laboratory to market adoption and commercial impact.

A key part of this agenda is MRANTI Innovation Park, which is being positioned as a platform for technology development, testing, commercialisation and collaboration between innovators and industry.

Arnee said Malaysia has a strong pipeline of innovators and technologies capable of generating meaningful economic and societal impact, but greater strategic communication is needed to connect these innovations with the right audiences.

“The opportunity is to communicate their value more strategically, connect them with the right audiences and build greater confidence in Malaysia’s innovation capabilities,” she said.

She added that she looked forward to working with the MRANTI team and its partners to bring Malaysia’s innovation stories to wider audiences while strengthening engagement across the ecosystem.

Her appointment reflects the growing importance of strategic communication in the innovation sector, where the ability to articulate technology, commercial potential and societal impact is increasingly critical to attracting investment, building partnerships and accelerating market adoption.

With her experience across corporate, government and stakeholder environments, Arnee is expected to play a key leadership role in shaping MRANTI’s communications strategy as the organisation works to strengthen Malaysia’s position in technology innovation and commercialisation.