The institutions named in our articles, gathered in one place. Which body governs what, and what each one actually examines. The names alone do not tell you, so we give the official name, the year of founding, what the body is, and what relationship it has with this publication.
HOW WE WROTE THIS
The rules for this page
- Official names are given in the local language, in English and in Japanese
- We use only figures the institutions themselves have published, and we say as of when
- We also write what each institution does not examine
- Individuals who helped us with reporting are listed on Contributors and interviewees. This page describes the institutions
- We state the relationship with this publication for each institution
Research institutions
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
A national comprehensive university founded in 1970. Its official name stays in Malay even in English: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. “The National University of Malaysia” is the common rendering. The university positions itself as a research university, and was ranked 126th in the QS World University Rankings 2026.
Relationship with TSUBAMEDIA: we interviewed two researchers in food science and food biotechnology. We asked about research on edible bird’s nest, the reality of adulteration, and the difficulty of telling the genuine article from the rest.
Government bodies
Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI)
A ministry of the Malaysian government. It is responsible for national biotechnology policy, and both the Bioeconomy Development Corporation and the certification body for nano products described below fall under it.
Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation
A government body wholly owned by the Ministry of Finance (MOF Inc.) and under MOSTI. National biotechnology policy began its first phase (NBP1.0) in 2005 and its second (NBP2.0) in 2022. According to the Corporation’s own figures, over twenty years it has contributed roughly RM39.9 billion to Malaysia’s GDP, with RM14.6 billion in approved investment, more than 16,600 jobs, and some 650 companies holding BioNexus or BBA status. Investment secured in 2025 was RM2.44 billion (RM1.55 billion in 2024).
What this Corporation examines is companies. It is not a scheme by which the state guarantees the effect of a material. What BioNexus status consists of is set out on Certifications and standards.
Relationship with TSUBAMEDIA: we interviewed the Chief Executive Officer and the Head of the Project Development and Management Department.
Certification bodies
NanoVerify Sdn. Bhd.
A wholly owned subsidiary of NanoMalaysia Berhad, under MOSTI. Established 11 August 2015. It carries out third-party certification of products and technologies that use nanotechnology, and obtained ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation in March 2024. By its own account it handled 151 companies and 280 products as of 2025.
Relationship with TSUBAMEDIA: we asked the Managing Director about how evaluation and certification in nanotechnology are approached. What has been certified for any particular product is not covered on this page.
Companies
GLYKEN
A Malaysian edible bird’s nest and biomaterials company. It holds BioNexus status, and its work runs from operating birdhouses through raw material and manufacturing to research.
Relationship with TSUBAMEDIA: Japan Bansho Co., Ltd., which runs this publication, has a commercial relationship with GLYKEN and handles products connected with that company in Japan. We are not a neutral third party. GLYKEN has given us continuing access on the ground — the production sites, the management of the birdhouses, raw material, manufacturing and research.
Japan Bansho Co., Ltd.
The company that runs TSUBAMEDIA. It handles edible bird’s nest as a business, and bears responsibility for the editing and the wording of this publication. Company details are on Company; the relationship between the editorial side and the company is set out in Editorial policy and disclosure.
WHAT WE DON’T KNOW YET
What we have not been able to write
- On the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) in Malaysia, we have not yet confirmed anything from primary sources. We do not line up names for their own sake, so we will write about it once we have
- We have not yet looked into the responsible bodies in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. These are producing regions we cover in articles, and yet the institutional side is a blank
- The figures for each institution are as of the date they were published. We have not been able to follow how often they are updated
DISCLOSURE
About this page
TSUBAMEDIA is run by Japan Bansho Co., Ltd. That company handles edible bird’s nest as a business and is not a neutral third party. The institutions listed here are ones that have helped TSUBAMEDIA with reporting and information gathering, or whose published material we have drawn on. That does not mean they have supervised or approved the articles themselves. Responsibility for the editing and the wording of our articles rests with Japan Bansho Co., Ltd.
The figures for each institution are based on material published by that institution itself. They are not something we have measured or assessed.
SOURCES
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia official portal (year of founding; position as a research university)
- QS World University Rankings 2026
- Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation official site and press releases (ownership, responsible ministry, NBP1.0/2.0, contribution, approved investment, jobs, number of accredited companies, investment secured)
- NanoVerify Sdn. Bhd. official site (year of establishment, parent company, certification scheme, ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation, number of cases)
- Interviews by the TSUBAMEDIA editorial desk (UKM / Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation / NanoVerify / GLYKEN. Permission to publish obtained in every case)
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