State aims to draw creative and digital talents to CoEx

The Penang Smart Parking System is one of the smart initiatives introduced by the state. – Filepic

PENANG is welcoming creative and digital entrepreneurs to develop and showcase their smart products at the Centre of Excellence (CoEx) in the Wisma Yeap Chor Ee building.

State housing, local government, town and country planning committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said the 5,000sq ft space would have infrastructure for training and research or serve as an innovation space.

The site will be ready by February next year.

“This is a space to showcase the efforts of creative and digital entrepreneurs and also for new start-ups to display and test their products or systems.

“There will be 12 counters in this space when ready.

“Entrepreneurs will be able to further develop 5G technology, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence.

“The place will act as a sandbox for various smart features.

“If the response is good, we will expand with more space in Seberang Prai,” he said at a press conference outside the building in Weld Quay, George Town.

Several spots within the area have been earmarked to form a creative digital district to attract talents to the city.

“We hope that talents will come in to move forward with our smart initiative agenda.

“We are pushing for more smart initiatives and CoEx is the 81st.

“We aim to set up 100 smart city initiatives by the end of this year,” he said.

Jagdeep added that a digital city was being planned for Seberang Prai under the Penang Bay project in line with the state’s aspiration to introduce more smart city initiatives.

Among the major smart initiatives being used in Penang currently is the Smart Parking system.

“From August 2019 to Oct 15 this year, we set up 36,000 parking bays in Penang and they are being upgraded with CCTV.

“There are so far 644,000 users and RM28mil have been collected in fees, coupons, rental and compounds,” he said.

Digital Penang general manager Tony Yeoh, who was also at the press conference, said CoEx would be a Penang smart unit to attract more investments into the area.

Penang Island City Council mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang and Seberang Prai City Council mayor Datuk Rozali Mohamud were also present at the press conference.