The Japan Times - BlackBerry and UKM Partnership to Advance Industry 5.0 in Malaysia with QNX Everywhere

BANGI, MALAYSIA / ACCESS Newswire / June 11, 2026 / BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB)(TSX:BB) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) today announced a major milestone in their multi-year strategic partnership, with UKM becoming the first university in ASEAN to integrate BlackBerry's globally recognized QNX® Everywhere program and QNX® foundational operating system (OS) into its curriculum. The initiative aims to build a robust pipeline of skilled software engineers to help support the rapid modernization of Malaysia's most mission-critical industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical devices, semiconductors, robotics and industrial automation.

UKM will offer QNX Everywhere as a curricular elective, with courses expected to commence in late 2026. This week, representatives from BlackBerry and QNX, Pi Square Technologies, UKM's university leadership, faculty and key government and industry stakeholders will commence course design, and formally open program registration for UKM students.

Raj Jain, Vice President, QNX Engineering and Head of R&D in APAC said, "The future of robotics, automotive and industrial systems is being shaped by 'Physical AI', where artificial intelligence meets real-world, safety-critical environments. With QNX Everywhere, we are giving Malaysia's next generation of engineers hands-on experience with the trusted software foundation that powers safe, secure, real-time systems. BlackBerry is proud to partner with UKM to help build a globally competitive talent pipeline, advance the digital economy and support Malaysia's Industry 5.0 ambitions."

Through QNX's 'one-to-many' model, UKM students in computer science and engineering will get free access to the QNX® Software Development Platform (SDP) 8.0, giving them hands-on experience with the same trusted platform used by nine of the world's top 10 medical device manufacturers and embedded in more than 275 million vehicles globally. The QNX-backed curriculum will equip Malaysia's aspiring software engineers with industry-ready skills to support the nation's ambitions in advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, Physical AI, robotics, automation, and other connected and safety-critical industries.

Malaysia's national development policies, including Industry4WRD, the National 4IR Policy, New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), Malaysia Digital 2030 (MD2030), and the MADANI agenda, are focused on accelerating digital transformation, strengthening technological sovereignty and creating higher-value industries. QNX Everywhere helps bridge the gap between policy and capability, equipping future software engineers with the expertise needed to build the intelligent, connected and safety-critical systems that will underpin the nation's future growth.

UKM Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dato' Dr Sufian Jusoh said, "Our partnership with BlackBerry continues to break new ground, expanding to address Malaysia's requirements to 'tech up' more software engineers to support our future digital economy. UKM is proud to be the first university in ASEAN to integrate QNX Everywhere into our curriculum, ensuring that Malaysia's future software engineers are not just career-ready, but globally competitive in designing and supporting the world's most critical industries."

The UKM-BlackBerry partnership was established to strengthen Malaysia's digital talent pipeline, sharpen industry competitiveness, and bolster ASEAN cyber resilience. Following the launch of the 24-week Cyber Pathways professional certification program in May 2026, this next milestone expands the partnership beyond cybersecurity and into the foundational software that powers the world's most mission-critical industries.

The UKM-BlackBerry partnership will further expand QNX's growing global academic footprint, which has seen QNX Everywhere span institutions across Canada, the U.S., South Korea, India and Germany.

For more information on QNX, visit QNX.software, QNX Everywhere and follow @QNX News To learn more about 'Physical AI', download a copy of theInside the Robot: Architecture Benchmark Report.

About Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

Established in 1970, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is a leading research university driving academic excellence, innovation and national progress. Home to a vibrant community of scholars and researchers, UKM tackles global and local challenges through multidisciplinary research that unites science, technology, social sciences and the humanities. Internationally recognized for its commitment to sustainability, innovation and inclusivity, UKM is strengthening its focus on emerging fields such as cybersecurity, digital trust, and data protection, towards advancing Malaysia's digital resilience while shaping global discourse. With its unwavering mission to empower society and produce future-ready graduates, UKM continues to be a catalyst for knowledge, transformation and impact.

For more information, visit UKM.my

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE:BB)(TSX:BB) provides enterprises and governments with the intelligent software and services that power the world around us. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company's high-performance foundational software enables major automakers and industrial giants alike to unlock transformative applications, drive new revenue streams and launch innovative business models, all without sacrificing safety, security, and reliability. With a deep heritage in Secure Communications, BlackBerry delivers operational resiliency with a comprehensive, highly secure, and extensively certified portfolio for mobile fortification, mission-critical communications, and critical events management.

For more information, visit BlackBerry.com and follow @BlackBerry.

About QNX

QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB)(TSX:BB), provides the trusted foundation that software-defined and physical AI systems depend on to operate safely and predictably in the real world. For nearly half a century, QNX has powered safety-critical applications where failure is not an option. The business leads the way in delivering safe and secure operating systems, hypervisors, middleware, solutions, and development tools, along with the support and services delivered by trusted embedded software experts. Today, QNX technology underpins hundreds of millions of vehicles on the road and a wide range of mission-critical systems across industrial controls, robotics, medical devices, commercial transportation, rail, and aerospace and defense. QNX is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. Learn more at qnx.software.

Trademarks, including but not limited to BLACKBERRY and EMBLEM Design, are the trademarks or registered trademarks of BlackBerry Limited, and the exclusive rights to such trademarks are expressly reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.

Media Contacts:

BlackBerry Media Relations
+1 (519) 597-7273
[email protected]

UKM Communications
+601151113542
[email protected]

SOURCE: BlackBerry

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Y.Watanabe--JT