World Economic Forum President Børge Brende (left) and MyDigital Corporation chief executive officer Fabian Bigar (right) posing with the collaboration agreement as Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli looks on during the launch of Malaysia Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre yesterday. - IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Malaysia seeks to further enhance the nations’ public-private collaboration in line with developing the country’s digital economy.
The Malaysia Centre for 4IR is said to be focusing mainly on digital transformation, as well as green energy transitions through the collaboration between the World Economic Forum and the government of Malaysia.
World Economic Forum president Borge Brende said the two key focus areas are critical topics and sees this as an opportunity for startups as well as large companies to be a part of the international network.
Brende added that the Malaysia Centre for 4IR will be one of leading centres for the field and would also be connected to other works that the World Economic Forum is doing on energy transition.
“This partnership will not only drive transformation but also help build a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future for Malaysia and the region,” he pointed out.
Officiating the launch, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said the centre reflected a critical insight into Malaysia’s innovation journey as it is a team sport and collaboration is essential.
According to Rafizi, by being able to reproduce the same developmental paradigm, which entails working with the best in the world to gain insights, it would assist in speeding up the formulation of policies as well as provide a platform and environment for the private sector.
“We hope the Malaysia Centre for 4IR will not only put Malaysia on the regional map, but at the same time allows access to the small and medium enterprises to tap into the global network of innovations and technology,” he added.
MyDigital Corp chief executive officer Fabian Bigar said the centre marked a significant milestone since the Malaysia digital economy blueprint and the National 4IR policy were rolled out.
With the Malaysia Centre for 4IR being hosted by the group, MyDigital is mandated to ensure the initiatives under the roadmap and policies are carried out.
“The establishment of the centre aligns with and further fortifies our initiatives to catalyse homegrown technology development by enhancing collaborative opportunities among stakeholders to unlock value in 4IR technologies,” he added in a statement.
The initiative will soon develop a plan after obtaining the input from external and private sectors during a roundtable discussion.
The Malaysia Centre for 4IR is the first in the Asean region and the 19th amongst the other 18 centres located all over the world as an innovative hub.
