At the Northern Region Innovation Forum (NRIF) 2026 held in Penang on 26 January 2026, themed ‘AHEAD AI: Advancing Human Excellence Amid Disruption with AI,’ MIMOS delivered a featured session titled, ‘Designing Innovation That Lasts: MIMOS | ISO 56001 | AI-Enabled Excellence.’ Representing the organisation as a key speaker, Mensely Cheah Siow Fhang, Head of Group Corporate Quality, provided a compelling address on building sustainable innovation capability. The session highlighted that true innovation extended far beyond technology development; it is a holistic discipline encompassing strategy, governance, intellectual property management, and a robust organisational culture across the entire enterprise. By sharing the evolution of the MIMOS Innovation Management System (MiMS), the forum affirmed the essential role of structured frameworks in turning creative ideas into scalable, long-term successes.
Mensely’s presentation traced MIMOS’ transformation well before the formal release of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 56001 standard, noting that the journey was rooted in MIMOS’ mandate as a national applied R&D centre. Positioning certification as a key milestone in a broader journey of execution maturity, the narrative focused on integrating Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)-inspired thinking into system design and adopting a disciplined, opportunity-first approach to innovation risk. Mensely shared key insights that included the evolution of MiMS through multiple structured versions, culminating in a cohesive execution backbone that integrates management, support, and core Research-Development-Commercialisation-Innovation (RDCI) processes.
Furthermore, the session explored structured Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance initiatives and the introduction of enabling tools designed to serve as institutional memory and decision-support aids across the RDCI lifecycle. These tools are specifically designed to preserve context and enhance continuity rather than replace human judgment, reinforcing the message that while AI enhances performance, human excellence remains the indispensable foundation of any high-impact system.
This engagement reiterated MIMOS’ role as a national leader in governance excellence, demonstrating how systems, standards, and technology must ultimately empower people to navigate disruption and turn uncertainty into a sustained strategic advantage.
