ISKANDAR PUTERI: Large-scale development and increased foreign investments in Johor are the focus of the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) in organising the third installment of Road2Growth (R2G) Southern Region this year, in collaboration with Iskandar Investment Bhd.
Chief executive officer Mohammad Hazani Hassan said Johor’s rising stature as a strong economic state is one of the reasons MTDC is eager to introduce its technology, innovative solutions in Industry 4.0 (IR 4.0) and digitalisation to the participants at R2G Southern Region.
"Over the past few years, the growth in Johor has been phenomenal with large-scale development and increased foreign investments making Johor their port of call.
"We at MTDC highly encourage entrepreneurs, especially those from Johor, to seize this unique opportunity to further expand your business,” he told reporters after officiating at the R2G Southern Region here today.
He said IR 4.0 has brought major technological advances, changing and diversifying the way people live, work and interact.
"This is where MTDC’s R2G programme will address the possibilities and potential businesses during its sharing session and networking activities conducted by our team and partners,” he said.
He said in the R2G programme in Johor, participants were able to choose from any of seven tracks, specifically on Commercial Funding, Developmental Funding, Ecosystem Partnerships, Business and Technology Consulting, Training and Talent Development and Business Innovation.
He said in the Commercial Funding and Developmental Funding tracks, participants engaged with fund experts and advisers, who assisted in identifying opportunities and resources required to bring success to participants’ ventures.
"Speakers included representatives from Bursa Malaysia Bhd
, Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Bhd (MIDF), Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Bhd (SME Bank) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI),” he said.
He said in the Ecosystem Partnerships track, participants explored how IR 4.0 can be used across various industry sectors.
"MTDC’s ecosystem companies showcased their local innovations and technologies, which could be adapted to execute businesses more efficiently, during the sharing sessions.
"Participants also learned about MTDC’s technology centres, which offer versatile collaborative workspaces catered towards tech companies, suitable for innovation and growth,” he said.
He said speakers for the track included representatives from IR 4.0 companies such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) consultant Neuramerge Resources PLT, data analytics company Foresight Analytics, geospatial mapping specialist MySpatial Sdn Bhd, and data expert Integrasi Erat Sdn Bhd.
In the Business and Technology Consulting track, he said participants were able to benefit from business, financial and marketing advisers to improve their businesses.
"There was also a demonstration and pitching exercise organised by Perbadanan Usahawan Johor Sdn Bhd (PUJB). Malayan Banking Bhd was also a guest speaker in this track,” he said.
He said in the Training and Talent Development track, participants learned about Job Strategies and Techniques as well as available careers in IR 4.0.
In the Business Innovation track, he said participants learned about programmes and assessment tools to assess participants’ innovation readiness and support their commercialisation efforts.
"Overall, MTDC’s R2G aims to offer valuable insights and make the right support and resources available to Malaysian technopreneurs to compete on a global level so that they may contribute significantly to the technological advancements and the economic growth of the country,” he added.
MTDC’s R2G is a platform to disseminate information and showcase MTDC’s range of services, which includes Commercial and Developmental Funding, Ecosystem Partnerships, Business and Technology Consulting, Training and Talent Development, Business Innovation and MTDC Technology Centres.
The next R2G event will be held in Penang on July 23, 2024, Kota Kinabalu (Aug 6), Kuching (Aug 8) and Kuala Lumpur (Sept 9).
