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VERSUS the Impossible

UMPSA Venture Studio

An evolution of UMPSA’s legacy of excellence, extending its standards in
research, engineering and innovation into a new frontier where knowledge
meets enterprise.

Guided by the Quadruple Helix model, Versus unites academia, industry,
government and community in a dual flow push and pull ecosystem.
On one side, research-led innovation pushes technology, IP and talent out of
UMPSA’s centres of excellence. On the other, industry-led innovation pulls
real world problem statements from founders, corporates and partners back
into UMPSA.

As UMPSA’s venture studio, Versus is the platform in the middle that aligns
this push and pull, transforming them into technologies, ventures and
solutions that shape Malaysia’s future in AI, aerospace and sustainable
mobility

Discover VERSUS

Join the Ecosystem

Where Ideas Meet Reality

“VS”, also written as “Versus”, symbolises dialogue, challenge and collaboration. The name captures the creative tension that drives innovation forward: the point where research pushes out and the market pulls in

>> Innovation

>> Collaboration

>> Transformation

Our Philosophy

“VS” embodies the tension between vision and execution, research and
market, university and industry, local and global, positioning UMPSA as a
catalyst for transformation through purposeful innovation.

Versus does not sit on one side of that tension. It operates in between as a
venture studio platform that aligns market pull with UMPSA’s innovation
push.

This philosophy recognises that breakthroughs emerge from constructive
friction, where opposing forces create momentum instead of stagnation, and where both researchers and entrepreneurs share ownership of the outcome.

>> Philosophy

>> The Origin

Concept Origin

“Versus” is not about conflict, but collaboration through contrast. It
celebrates constructive friction: the creative energy that appears when
ideas from academia meet the urgency of industry.

At its core is a dual flow:
+> Research-led innovation pushing technology out of UMPSA’s labs.
+> Industry-led innovation pulling real world problems into research.

This tension becomes the driving force for breakthrough innovations that
turn theoretical research into practical solutions, built and tested within the
Pahang Aerospace City ecosystem.

The 4 Concept

Versus Convention

Versus Isolation

Versus Limitation

Versus the Future

We challenge “business as usual” in both academia and industry, replacing one way R&D with a dual flow model where problems and solutions move together. We carry out discovery and validation so every venture is grounded in real insight, not assumptions.

We connect disciplines, industries and nations, creating strong synergies that amplify innovation impact. Mixed teams of researchers, founders and operators work side by side instead of remaining in silos.

We build ventures that can scale from laboratory concepts to commercial launchpads, designing within regulatory, funding and technical constraints so solutions are ready to be deployed in the real world.

We do not claim to predict the future, but we actively co-create it through strategic partnerships and purposeful innovation. Each dual-flow venture not only solves a problem, it builds new capabilities for Malaysia and the wider region.

Brand Positioning

For innovators, researchers and investors shaping the future of deep tech and the new space economy, VS | UMPSA Venture Studio is the collaborative platform that transforms academic research into commercial ventures, bridging Malaysia’s intellectual capital with the world’s innovation ecosystems.

Versus does this through a dual-flow model:
+> Research-led push from UMPSA’s centres of excellence (science, technology and talent).
+> Industry-led pull from founders, corporates, agencies and communities (problems, markets and missions).

The studio sits in the middle, structuring this push and pull into ventures that are both scientifically rigorous and ready for the market.

Unlike traditional accelerators, Versus integrates academic R&D, industry partnerships and state backed infrastructure within the Pahang Aerospace City (PAC) ecosystem.

This creates a continuous dual flow pipeline from research laboratory and market problem statements to global commercialisation. Innovations are developed with clear demand in mind, tested in real environments and scaled with strategic capital, whilst still maintaining academic rigour and scientific excellence.

Strategic Anchors

The Five Innovation Pillars

Each pillar runs on the same dual-flow logic: research pushes new capabilities out, while partners pull in real missions and use cases.

VS.Space

Satellite technologies, aerospace engineering, and new space economy ventures driving Malaysia's position in the global space industry.

VS.AI

Artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced data analytics, and digital twin technologies for intelligent systems and automation.

VS.Future
Living

Smart city infrastructure, sustainability solutions, and human-centred design for resilient communities and enhanced quality of life.

VS.Impact

Social innovation ventures and ESG-focused solutions that create measurable positive change whilst generating sustainable returns.

VS.Capital

Venture investment fund and commercialisation support providing strategic capital and expertise to scale breakthrough innovations.

Experience and Environment

PAC Experience Lab (PXL)

The flagship innovation and experience centre for the Pahang Aerospace City, PXL is a physical and digital environment where visitors, partners and investors can explore the integrated vision of Future Living, Aerospace and AI-City.

PXL is also where the dual flow model becomes visible: problem statements, missions and UMPSA innovations are surfaced, matched and showcased in one integrated space. It serves as the customer experience and command intelligence hub, combining technology demonstration, venture incubation and digital storytelling under one roof.

VS Hub @ PXL

A futuristic open laboratory and ideation centre featuring AI-driven visualisation walls, holographic pitch spaces and modular incubator pods for venture development. This is where research teams, founders and partners sit together to translate pull from the field into the push of new ventures.

VS Hub @ PXL

Digital Twin Portal

A virtual access platform that allows global partners and investors to experience the ecosystem remotely through immersive digital environments. It enables them to share their challenges, explore UMPSA’s capabilities and engage with ventures without needing to be on-site.

VS Hub @ PXL

VERSUS Convention

The annual signature forum and summit that connects academia, industry and investors to showcase breakthrough innovations and forge strategic partnerships. It is the flagship moment where both flows converge, as founders, researchers, policymakers and investors align around shared missions for Malaysia and the wider region.

VS Hub @ PXL

Celebrate Friction

Encourage cross disciplinary problem solving and honest dialogue between those who bring the problems and those who bring the solutions, so creative friction becomes better ventures.

Document Learning

Embrace an open source mindset, sharing knowledge, playbooks and methods across UMPSA and partners so every push–pull cycle becomes smarter and faster

Mentor and Mobilise

Transform graduates, researchers and operators into founders and venture leaders, providing support from ideation through to commercialisation and matching them with the right challenges and co-founders.

Measure Impact

Track sustainability outcomes, national contribution and partner value creation, ensuring ventures create lasting value for Malaysia’s economy, society and future industries, not just short term wins.

Brand
Behaviours

Strategic Partnerships

Versus is anchored in global collaboration. Through strategic partnerships, we connect Malaysia’s push of innovation with the pull of demand from leading ecosystems around the world.

Scotland

>> SpaceScotland
>> University of Edinburgh
>> University of Glasgow

United Arab Emirates

>> MBZUAI
>> Kintsugi AI

Finland

>> ReOrbit
>> Business Finland

Malaysia

>> PACDB
>> Baiyuzen
>> MOSTI
>> MARA
>> MDEC

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