The signing of the MoUs is a boost for Selangor’s ambitions to make the state a base for Asean, especially in high tech industries such as aerospace, biotech and e-commerce.
In a statement, Invest Selangor said the MoU signed with the state government of Victoria revolved around collaborations in several areas, including Information and Communications Technology (ICT), food and agro-business, as well as education and training.
The MoU was signed today by Invest Selangor CEO Hasan Azhari Idris and Victoria state commissioner to Southeast Asia, Brett Stevens. It was witnessed by representatives of both state governments, including Teng Chang Khim, who is Selangor executive councillor for investment, industry, SMEs, commerce and transportation.
The MoU signed between Invest Selangor and the state of Bavaria meanwhile, is aimed at strengthening collaboration between both states in the areas of automation and robotics, industry 4.0 – defined as automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies – the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data, aerospace, and biotechnology.
That MoU was signed recently during Invest Selangor’s investment mission to Europe and was witnessed by Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali.
It was also announced that the state of Bavaria’s trade promotion and market expansion agency, Bayern International will be holding an extensive workshop in Selangor in August and that it has appointed Malaysian-based entrepreneur Bernhard Schutte to be the first contact point for all collaborations between Selangor and Bavaria.
Teng said the MoUs were significant for Selangor in ushering change and remaining competitive.
“Selangor being the most developed state in Malaysia is heading towards a future disrupted by technological changes and innovations.
“We have to embrace this development and finally become an agent of change or we will not be able to compete in the global arena,” he said.
Invest Selangor is a one-stop agency for investments in the state and comes under the purview of the Selangor government.
As of 2015, Selangor contributed RM240 billion or 22.6% to the national GDP, and last year, the state attracted RM7.88 billion worth of investments in the manufacturing sector, exceeding its goal of RM6 billion.
The state has placed emphasis on four areas and set up four councils, namely the Selangor Information Technology and E-Commerce Council (Sitec), the Selangor Bio Council, Selangor Aerospace Council and Halal International Council to propel the industries in these sectors.
Invest Selangor also recently announced it would be organising the Selangor International Business Summit 2017, which will be held from Sept 7 to Sept 17. The summit is aimed at positioning Selangor as a global trading hub and gateway to Asean.
The summit is expected to draw experts, industry players and members of the business community from Asean, China, the Middle East and Europe, and will be held at the Setia City Convention Centre (SCCC) in Shah Alam.