MIDA WORKING WITH A FEW COMPANIES TO GET WEF'S GLOBAL LIGHTHOUSE NETWORK RECOGNITION

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 -- Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) is currently working with a number of companies to help them get the Global Lighthouse Network recognition by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

MIDA chief executive officer Arham Abdul Rahman said there are companies at an early stage of the process while some of them are near to getting the recognition.

This comes as one of the smart manufacturing facilities in Malaysia has attained the prestigious WEF Lighthouse recognition - Malaysia’s first WEF Lighthouse company, namely Western Digital (WD), located in Batu Kawan, Penang.

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"WD, in distinctively achieving such status, has responded to the government’s persistent calls to industry leaders to champion the transformation and adoption of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR)," he said at the virtual press conference between MIDA and WD on WEF Industry 4.0 Recognition today.

Earlier in his remarks, Arham said WD Batu Kawan has applied technology innovation, including robotics, automation, and advanced analytics, enabling transformational change that benefits customer delivery targets, cost, sustainability as well as workforce skills advancement.

"The Global Lighthouse Network recognition by the WEF on Western Digital’s operation in Batu Kawan has brought about significant benefits to a local chain of players by resetting the benchmark of operational, financial, and sustainability levels, he said. "MIDA is now further encouraged that this pioneering project in Malaysia will be an exceptional example to the rest of the industries operating in Malaysia to cultivate new thinking of 4IR technologies, address sustainability and workforce productivity growth in facing today’s intense global competition." 

Hence, Arham said MIDA has invited electrical and electronics, machinery and equipment and other resource and non-resource based companies to enhance its 4IR technologies network in Malaysia through its own Lighthouse Programme.

"These ‘Lighthouses’ act as beacons to guide their supply chain and Malaysian companies to apply technologies including additive manufacturing, advanced analytics, and the industrial Internet of Things to overcome challenges in existing production systems.

"The Lighthouse Programme will also serve as a platform for broader economic spillover benefits as the adoption of 4IR technologies by anchor companies will inject fresh revivals across societies in need of productivity and fragmentation innovation," he said.

He said the agency’s Lighthouse initiative aims to strengthen Malaysia’s position as a hub for research and development, high technology industries, and global services.

-- BERNAMA