S. Korean firm keen to set up base in Negri's Aerospace Valley

SEREMBAN: A South Korean company involved in the manufacturing of light aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles is keen to set up operations in Negri Sembilan's Aerospace Valley (NSAV), says state exco member Datuk Dr Mohamad Rafie Ab Malek.

The state investment, industrialisation, entrepreneurship, education and human capital committee chairman said the company had indicated this during a trade and investment mission to the country led by International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

"We will continue holding talks with the company and hope they will invest in the NSAV," he told reporters after briefing a 170-member delegation from China’s Guangxi Department of Commerce on opportunities available in the Malaysian Vision Valley 2.0.

The International Trade and Industry Ministry said it had secured potential investments worth RM24bil from South Korea during the four-day mission which started on March 17.

Mohamad Rafie said the state government also hopes plans by Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc (TAI) to jointly develop the NSAV will take off by the end of this year.

TAI and the NS Corporation, the state government's investment arm, had in March last year signed a memorandum of understanding for the purpose as well as to develop an Unmanned Vehicle Valley in NSAV.

It was also to cover other collaboration efforts, such as the development of aerospace component manufacturing as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul.

"We have sent 100 Malaysian engineers to train in Ankara to prepare for this. This is because we are going to need many skilled, knowledgeable workers to realise the NSAV," he said.

Mohamad Rafie said he had also visited TAI's facility in Ankara and was impressed with what he saw.

"There was one hangar where 86 helicopters were being assembled. I truly hope we can get them to invest here too," he said.

In his speech earlier, Mohamad Rafie said a feasibility study on the NSAV, which is an important component of the MVV2.0, showed that it would be able to attract RM104bil in investments and help create some 32,000 jobs by 2039.

"The total land area is approximately 16,000 acres, which is 10 times bigger than the Toulouse Aerospace Valley.

"NSAV is very close to the KL International Airport and Port Klang, Malaysia's main seaport, is only about 70km away from this strategic location," he said.

He said the NSAV also had the potential to become the main distribution centre for aerospace parts and components in Asia with the increase in demand for aircraft in the region.