‘Startups will help spearhead transition to circular economy’

Startups will help Selangor in spearheading the transition to a circular economy, says Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

“We have a number of startups nurtured under the Selangor Accelerator Programme to promote clean and alternative energy.”

He said Selangor government, through Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB), had allocated RM30mil in venture capital funds to accelerate the growth of Selangor startups, especially in the fields of net zero transition, circular economy and smart city.

“This will bring tremendous benefits to the public as we can rapidly decarbonise power while cutting our household energy bills and reducing fuel subsidy,” he added.

Amirudin said the new challenge was to adopt green energy and a circular economy in daily life as well as in business and manufacturing activities so that Malaysia could deliver and strengthen emission reduction targets by 2050, as agreed under the Glasgow Climate pact.

He said Malaysia had an abundance of potential in developing other renewable energy sources such as solar power, biofuel and biomass, citing major government-linked companies having ventured into renewable energy fields via environmental, social and corporate governance related startups.

He also noted that about 15,000 micro-mobility vehicles were estimated to have been sold nationwide last year.

He said there had been a surge of interest among the public not just for electric cars but also escooters.

“Perhaps it is time we regulate the sale of micro-mobility vehicles, and educate users on safety measures they should follow,” he said during the launch of the Asian Smart City Conference: Mayors Summit.

The smart city conference was part of the four-day 7th Selangor Smart City and Digital Economy Convention by Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation. It was held from Oct 6 to 9 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The convention attracted representatives from 10 foreign cities.

They were Taipei and Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Asan and Seongbuk (South Korea), Chiang Mai and Rayong (Thailand), Sunshine Coast (Australia), Makassar and Jakarta (Indonesia) and Amsterdam (the Netherlands).

Amirudin also launched Selangor Digital School which would offer short courses as well as diploma, bachelor and master’s degree programmes with a digital focus curated for professionals and graduates.

He said the programme was another of Sidec’s initiatives aimed at resolving the shortage of digital talents in Selangor.