Myanmar sits at a crossroads between South and Southeast Asia, offering a research environment defined by both untapped potential and deep structural constraints. Its science and innovation system is still in a formative stage—shaped by limited resources, evolving institutions and a complex political landscape—yet holds promise if stability and investment converge in the years ahead.
Myanmar’s recent policy direction signals recognition of the role of science and technology in national development. A National STI Strategy is in place, and the Department of Research and Innovation (DRI) was established under the Ministry of Education to guide research and transfer technology into economic value. The mandate emphasises technology diffusion, information-sharing and research activities that “benefit the nation.” Priority domains broadly include agriculture, public health and ICT, reflecting both Myanmar’s economic structure and long-term needs. However, these priorities remain general and will require sharper focus and sustained funding to gain traction.
Funding and research investment remain limited. Reliable data on Myanmar’s R&D expenditure are scarce, but the best available indicators show very low spending and extremely small researcher density—around 28 researchers per million people in 2023. Innovation benchmarks mirror this reality: Myanmar scores poorly across all pillars of the Global Innovation Index, particularly in human capital, research, and knowledge outputs. Despite periodic statements of support for science and innovation, the gap between policy intention and resource allocation remains wide.
Myanmar’s institutional research base has long roots. Earlier entities such as the Union of Burma Applied Research Institute evolved into today’s DRI, and universities in Yangon, Mandalay and other regions form the backbone of academic research. Yet capacity remains thin. Many institutions face shortages of funding, laboratory equipment, and experienced researchers. The agricultural sector, which is central to Myanmar’s economy, illustrates both the opportunities and constraints: multiple institutes exist, but they struggle with limited human resources and outdated facilities. Analysts note that strengthening the national research system will require mainstreaming local research and elevating its visibility in regional and global networks.
Scientific output remains very low. Publication counts in the biological sciences, chemistry, health sciences and related fields are minimal, and Myanmar’s knowledge and technology outputs rank near the bottom globally. These indicators underscore the early stage of Myanmar’s research ecosystem and the heavy lift needed to build a vibrant scientific community.
Industry–academia collaboration is also limited. Although policy documents speak of promoting R&D, offering grants, and supporting SME innovation, large-scale technology transfer or industry-driven research activity remains rare. A notable policy aspiration is to encourage innovation through incentives, tax concessions and targeted funds for SMEs willing to pursue R&D, but implementation and scale-up remain significant challenges.
Despite its constraints, Myanmar does possess niche strengths. Its agricultural base presents opportunities for research in crop resilience, land management and food security. Its rich natural resources and exceptional biodiversity make it an important site for environmental and earth-science research. And as a low-resource language environment, Myanmar offers promising test-bed conditions for natural-language processing and speech technology development, with early studies showing encouraging results in Myanmar-language AI models.
Infrastructure remains one of the most significant bottlenecks. While some ICT infrastructure has developed—such as the Yatanarpon Cyber City project—many research centres lack modern laboratories, reliable equipment and stable connectivity. Without substantial investments, large-scale scientific work and advanced experimentation will remain difficult.
Human capital is an equally pressing challenge. The number of researchers in the country is extremely limited by regional and global standards. Although Myanmar has talented students and active postgraduate interest, the limited availability of advanced training, the lack of stable career pathways and ongoing political uncertainty contribute to persistent brain drain. Reports emphasise that while Myanmar has capable analysts and researchers, they are not yet integrated into a national framework that fully leverages their skills.
The policy environment reflects both intent and constraint. A Technology and Innovation Law was passed in 2018, and the DRI’s formal mandate signals growing institutional structure. Nevertheless, weaknesses in governance, regulatory enforcement and inter-agency coordination continue to hinder progress. Myanmar ranks poorly on institutional measures of innovation, indicating systemic challenges that extend beyond the research sector.
Looking ahead, several emerging trends point to potential areas of momentum. Interest in sustainable agriculture, climate resilience and food security is rising. Digital inclusion and language technology research offer new openings in ICT. Global scientific interest in Myanmar’s ecosystems and natural resources could spur external collaborations in biodiversity, environmental science and geology—although these areas remain politically sensitive. Policy documents also emphasise SME-focused innovation, technology transfer and broader participation in the research ecosystem.
Myanmar’s science and research sector remains a “research in waiting” engine—promising, but constrained by low funding, limited talent, fragmented institutions and instability. Infrastructure gaps, governance challenges and weak industry linkages further slow progress. Yet the existence of a national STI strategy, the establishment of DRI, and growing pockets of research activity indicate that the foundations, however fragile, do exist.
If Myanmar can stabilise its governance environment, raise investment in research, strengthen institutions and develop its scientific workforce, it could gradually narrow the gap with its regional peers. The potential is real—but realising it will require long-term commitment, coherent policy direction and sustained support for people, infrastructure and innovation pathways.
