Tag: #Innovation

  • Midea Kukuhkan Kehadiran di Malaysia di Bawah Visi “Power of One” Serantau

    Midea Kukuhkan Kehadiran di Malaysia di Bawah Visi “Power of One” Serantau

    Midea, sebuah syarikat teknologi global terkemuka dan antara pengeluar perkakas rumah terbesar di dunia, baru-baru ini menganjurkan persidangan pengedar pertamanya di rantau Asia Pasifik yang berlangsung di Bali. Acara ini menghimpunkan 450 rakan kongsi dari seluruh rantau dengan matlamat untuk menyatukan usaha ke arah menjadi peneraju nombor satu dunia dalam semua kategori perkakas rumah di bawah tema “Power of One”. Persidangan tersebut menonjolkan inovasi terkini Midea menerusi lima zon pengalaman, sambil menegaskan komitmen berterusan terhadap pasaran tempatan seperti Malaysia melalui latihan teknikal, kecemerlangan perkhidmatan dan kerjasama komuniti yang bermakna.

    Menurut Presiden Midea Asia Pacific Region, Zeal Jiang, “Power of One” berpaksikan tiga elemen utama iaitu kepimpinan teknologi, kemampuan tempatan untuk tempatan (local-for-local), serta kekuatan kerjasama. Dengan terus melabur dalam penyelidikan dan pembangunan (R&D) serta teknologi pintar, memperkukuh rangkaian pengeluaran dan perkhidmatan serantau, dan bekerjasama rapat dengan rakan kongsi di seluruh Asia Pasifik, Midea kini bergerak pantas ke arah mencapai cita-cita untuk menjadi syarikat perkakas rumah pintar nombor satu dunia dengan sasaran hasil jualan sebanyak USD 1.5 bilion di rantau APAC menjelang tahun 2028.

    Sebagai peneraju inovasi, Midea telah memperoleh sembilan pengiktirafan tempat pertama oleh Euromonitor International dalam pelbagai kategori seperti Smart Home Appliances, Air Conditioners, Air Treatment, Microwaves dan Small Cooking Appliances. Ketika persidangan berlangsung, sebanyak 150 produk dipamerkan yang mencerminkan visi kehidupan lebih pintar dan lestari – daripada teknologi AI yang mengawal suhu dan penulenan udara secara masa nyata melalui aplikasi Midea SmartHome, kepada penyelesaian penjimatan tenaga yang mampu mengurangkan penggunaan elektrik sehingga 30 peratus. Reka bentuk ruang yang efisien turut diperkenalkan bagi meningkatkan kapasiti tanpa menjejaskan saiz, sementara produk penyaman udara kediaman menonjol dengan daya tahan terhadap iklim lembap Asia melalui teknologi Prime Guard dan komponen tahan lama.

    Midea turut menampilkan keupayaan industri menerusi Midea Building Technologies (MBT) yang memperkenalkan penyelesaian berskala besar seperti VC MAX VRF dan Magboost Apex chiller yang menawarkan kecekapan tenaga dan kos penyelenggaraan yang lebih rendah.

    Dalam aspek kepimpinan teknologi, Midea telah melabur sebanyak USD 10 bilion dalam R&D dalam tempoh lima tahun kebelakangan ini dan disokong oleh lebih 23,000 tenaga profesional R&D. Syarikat ini juga telah memegang lebih 100,000 paten, menerima 470 anugerah teknologi utama, dan menyumbang kepada lebih 1,900 piawaian teknologi di peringkat global. Dalam tempoh tiga tahun akan datang, Midea berhasrat untuk melabur lebih daripada CNY 50 bilion (USD 6.96 bilion) dalam bidang kecerdasan buatan (AI), tenaga baharu, robotik dan teknologi kecerdasan terbina. Antara pencapaian terbaharu termasuk pelancaran robot humanoid isi rumah pertama, MIRA, di World AI Conference 2025, serta pelaburan bernilai CNY 1.5 bilion (USD 208.1 juta) bagi membangunkan platform teknologi pintar di Shanghai.

    Dari segi strategi pasaran, Midea memperkukuh pertumbuhan APAC melalui pengilangan tempatan dan kecemerlangan perkhidmatan. Dengan 63 pangkalan pengeluaran global, termasuk sembilan di Thailand, Vietnam dan Indonesia, Midea terus memimpin dalam kecekapan rantaian bekalan. Kilang Midea di Thailand telah diiktiraf sebagai Lighthouse Factory oleh World Economic Forum kerana ketahanan rantaian bekalan dan penggunaan teknologi 5G sepenuhnya, menjadikannya kilang pertama seumpamanya di Asia Tenggara dengan penjimatan tenaga melebihi 40 peratus dan pengurangan pelepasan karbon sebanyak 68.3 peratus.

    Untuk memperkukuh perkhidmatan selepas jualan, aplikasi Midea Club kini digunakan di seluruh APAC bagi memudahkan teknisyen mengurus penghantaran, pemasangan, latihan dan jaminan produk dalam satu platform. Syarikat ini turut menganjurkan lebih 200 program latihan dan perkhidmatan setiap tahun, menyasarkan 30,000 jurutera dalam tempoh tiga tahun, dengan lebih 1,800 pusat perkhidmatan rasmi dan rakan servis di rantau ini. Di Malaysia, komitmen ini diterjemahkan melalui sesi latihan suku tahunan untuk memperkukuh kepakaran teknikal tempatan agar kualiti perkhidmatan kekal menepati piawaian global.

    Midea turut memberi tumpuan kepada kelestarian dan impak komuniti di seluruh Asia Pasifik dan Malaysia. Syarikat ini telah tersenarai dalam Sustainability Yearbook (China Edition) 2025 oleh S&P Global atas prestasi ESG yang cemerlang, termasuk sumbangan terhadap bantuan bencana, sokongan komuniti dan pemuliharaan alam sekitar. Di Malaysia, Midea menjalinkan kerjasama dengan Persatuan Badminton Negeri Kelantan bagi menyokong pembangunan belia, selain terlibat dalam bantuan banjir dan sumbangan kepada institusi kebajikan warga emas.

    Presiden Midea Asia Pacific Region, Zeal Jiang, turut menekankan inisiatif pemulihan terumbu karang di Bali yang dilaksanakan bersama Mangrove Indonesia Lestari Foundation dengan lebih 1,000 terumbu karang ditanam bagi memulihara biodiversiti marin dan menyokong komuniti pesisir. Dalam masa yang sama, Midea juga memperkukuh hubungan global melalui penajaan sukan bertaraf dunia seperti peranan baharunya sebagai Penaja Lengan Utama FC Barcelona, selain mengekalkan kerjasama jangka panjang dengan Konfederasi Bola Sepak Asia (AFC) dan Manchester City Football Club.

    Managing Director Midea Malaysia, Mark Tam, menegaskan bahawa visi Midea bukan sahaja untuk menjadi peneraju inovasi global, tetapi juga memastikan setiap produk membawa manfaat nyata kepada keluarga dan komuniti di Malaysia.

  • Nestlé Malaysia Rolls Out NESCAFÉ Espresso Concentrate in Shah Alam to Serve All Asian Markets

    Nestlé Malaysia Rolls Out NESCAFÉ Espresso Concentrate in Shah Alam to Serve All Asian Markets

    Nestlé Malaysia has reached a significant milestone with the official launch of NESCAFÉ Espresso Concentrate production at the Sri Muda factory in Shah Alam, Selangor. This development enhances Malaysia’s strategic role in Nestlé’s global manufacturing and innovation network. NESCAFÉ Espresso Concentrate offers an innovative high-quality product solution to meet the growing demand for cold coffee across Asia.

    [From left] Xolile White, Executive Director, Technical & Production, Nestlé Malaysia; Juan Aranols, CEO, Nestlé Malaysia and Raef Labaki, Business Executive Officer for Coffee, Nestlé Malaysia, unveiling the NESCAFÉ Espresso Black and Sweet Vanilla product variants, produced at the Nestlé Sri Muda Factory for both domestic and export markets.

    The Sri Muda factory, already a major hub for Ready-to-Drink UHT and recycled PET products, has become one of the most advanced facilities of its kind worldwide following investments exceeding half a billion ringgit over the past decade. The new production line is designed to meet rising demand in domestic and export markets, including Singapore, Oceania, the Middle East and North Africa, with potential expansion into other ASEAN countries and Europe. This strategic initiative further establishes Nestlé Malaysia as a key Halal manufacturing hub for the global Nestlé group.

    Malaysia was chosen by the Nestlé Group as a strategic manufacturing and sourcing location for Asian markets due to its competitive infrastructure, skilled workforce and proven capabilities. The Sri Muda factory already produces a wide range of Ready-to-Drink products under the MILO, NESCAFÉ and NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS brands and benefits from efficient access to ingredients and robust logistics, reinforcing its role as an export hub. NESCAFÉ Espresso Concentrate taps into new growth opportunities in the dynamic coffee market, particularly among younger consumers exploring coffee culture, while creating additional employment opportunities and strengthening Malaysia’s position as a regional export hub and Halal manufacturing centre.

    [From left] Raef Labaki, Business Executive Officer, Coffee, Nestlé Malaysia; Juan Aranols, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nestlé Malaysia; and Xolile White, Executive Director, Technical & Production, Nestlé Malaysia, celebrating a new milestone with the launch of the new production line for NESCAFÉ Espresso Concentrate at the Nestlé Sri Muda Factory, a first for Nestlé in Asia. 

    The product is packaged in 100 percent rPET bottles with Carbon Black Free Pigment caps, reflecting Nestlé’s sustainability commitments. The Sri Muda factory has led environmental initiatives including the elimination of over one billion plastic straws, the replacement of plastic wrappers with sustainable paper solutions and the adoption of 100 percent rPET bottles across all products in ASEAN.

    This launch builds on Nestlé’s ongoing investment in Malaysia, which includes close to RM1.5 billion over the past five years to expand and upgrade local facilities, develop an integrated logistics hub in Port Klang, and enhance flagship plants such as MILO in Chembong and factories in Batu Tiga. These initiatives aim to improve competitiveness, future-proof operations and nurture local talent while supporting sustainable growth.

  • Digital Economy: Catalyst for Growth and National Competitiveness with 5.1% GDP Increase

    Digital Economy: Catalyst for Growth and National Competitiveness with 5.1% GDP Increase

    Malaysia’s digital economy continues to play a crucial role in driving national growth, fostering innovation, and enhancing global competitiveness. According to MDEC (Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation) CEO Anuar Fariz Fadzil, Malaysia’s forward-thinking digital policies, particularly in AI and talent development, have firmly positioned the country as a regional leader in digital excellence.

    Anuar highlighted that Malaysia’s strong public-private partnerships, especially in AI and quantum computing, have accelerated transformative changes in key sectors such as manufacturing, finance, and services. These collaborations have established Malaysia as a hub for cutting-edge technologies in Southeast Asia.

    “Through proactive digital transformation initiatives, we aim to achieve or even exceed the target of a 25.5% digital economy contribution to GDP by year-end,” said Anuar. He emphasized the importance of supporting businesses through talent development, technology adoption, and SME competitiveness, alongside attracting high-quality investments to ensure a robust future economy.

    A key contributor to Malaysia’s growth is foreign direct investments (FDIs), with data centre investments playing a particularly significant role. Malaysia attracted over RM86 billion in data centre investments in 2024, cementing the country’s status as Southeast Asia’s leading data centre hub, with 77 centres nationwide.

    The recent announcement by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) that the Malaysian economy grew by 5.1% in 2024 underscores the nation’s resilience and the growing significance of the digital economy in driving future prosperity. Anuar noted that this growth is a result of the digital economy’s crucial role in recovery and transformation efforts, bolstered by catalytic initiatives from the Digital Economy Blueprint and the New Industrial Master Plan 2030.

    Digital investments, particularly those under Malaysia Digital (MD), played an essential role in this growth, surpassing RM163.6 billion in approved digital investments for 2024—an increase of 250% compared to 2023. The sector also generated more than 48,000 jobs, a 109% increase compared to the previous year, reflecting the digital industry’s growing contribution to high-skilled, high-income employment.

    Malaysia is strategically positioned to be a gateway to the ASEAN market, with top FDIs coming from Singapore, the United States, China, Australia, and India. The country’s geographical location, abundant talent, and vast land resources make it an attractive destination for digital investments, especially in sectors like Global Business Services, Information Technology, and Creative Content, which have generated over RM48 billion in investments.

    A significant focus for MDEC in 2025 is the acceleration of digital growth at the state level, aiming to improve digital infrastructure, nurture AI ecosystems, and drive SME digitalization. This decentralized approach empowers states to leverage their unique strengths and contribute to Malaysia’s broader digital economy objectives.

    Anuar further expressed MDEC’s commitment to attracting leading AI companies to establish operations across various states in Malaysia. The organization is also actively supporting local tech companies to expand into international markets for exports.

    Recently, Anuar led an MDEC delegation to Johor to discuss potential collaborative opportunities with Johor Chief Minister Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and other state leaders. He pointed out Johor’s immense potential in becoming a regional hub for data centres, fintech, and digital content, bolstered by strategic initiatives like the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and the Iskandar Animation and Games Hub.

    “Johor has a strategic location and progressive policies that offer a solid foundation for innovation and growth. With these advantages, Johor is well-positioned to attract international investments and create high-value job opportunities,” Anuar added.

    MDEC is set to return to Johor soon to follow up on these plans, focusing on tangible actions that will advance the region’s digital economy initiatives.

    “We are committed to working closely with our state partners to transform these strategies into meaningful outcomes that benefit businesses and the rakyat across Malaysia,” Anuar concluded.