KUALA LUMPUR: Innovation must become a core priority and a foundation of the Defence Ministry’s strength in safeguarding national sovereignty, rather than being treated as a series of standalone programmes.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said innovation must also be embedded in the culture and daily practices of ministry and armed forces personnel to ensure the organisation remains effective against evolving security challenges.
“When we do not innovate, it means we have actually stopped thinking,” he said at the Defence Ministry Innovation Day 2026 celebration today.
Khaled said innovation enables the ministry to operate more efficiently, at lower costs and within shorter timeframes, while helping the armed forces develop doctrines, force structures and defence readiness suited to current demands.
He added that innovation is crucial in helping the country anticipate and manage threats strategically, particularly as security challenges become increasingly complex and rapidly evolving.
“Innovation does not necessarily involve large-scale projects or require allocations worth millions of ringgit, as smaller initiatives can also deliver added value through cost savings, reduced processing time and improved output.
“The objective of innovation is to improve existing practices, methods or products,” he said.
At the event, Khaled launched the i-MIND System, a centralised database that consolidates, coordinates and documents innovation products, projects and achievements by ministry and armed forces personnel.
He said the system strengthens innovation management through a digital, systematic and integrated approach, allowing ideas and outputs to be collected, analysed and implemented more effectively.
“More interestingly, the i-MIND system itself is an innovation because it transforms the management of fragmented innovation records into a more integrated, data-driven innovation management ecosystem that supports strategic decision-making,” he said.
Khaled said the ministry’s innovation achievements had gained international recognition, with the national contingent winning four gold medals, two silver medals and three special awards at Indonesia Inventors Day (IID) 2026.
He also announced that 10 innovative products from the armed forces’ three service branches had been identified for patent registration, alongside the introduction of the Defence Innovator Pin to recognise personnel who successfully develop innovations.