Cyberview Sdn Bhd (Cyberview), the Tech Hub Developer of Cyberjaya recently held an online panel discussion themed, ‘Cyberjaya’s New Masterplan: Driving Growth for the Global Tech Hub’.
In tandem with Cyberview’s new mandate to spearhead the development of Cyberjaya, the webinar discussed the newly introduced masterplan which aims to further propel the growth of Cyberjaya as a Global Tech Hub. Cyberview will now lead the development of Cyberjaya, in efforts to revitalise the smart city, by focusing on three specific tech clusters which are Smart Mobility, Smart Healthcare, and Digital Creative.
The panellists included Roni Shah Mustapha, Head of Business, City & Communications Division, Cyberview Sdn Bhd; John Low, Co-Managing Partner SEA, Roland Berger; and Jin Xi Cheong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Poladrone. The panellists provided insights into the new masterplan and how Cyberjaya is well-positioned to be the preferred location for tech businesses and investment.
With the new masterplan, Cyberjaya has been geographically divided into four zones, each with its own characteristics:
- South Cyberjaya – The Innovation District. It is the fundamental district in the new masterplan as it anchors the development of the three identified tech clusters: smart mobility, smart healthcare and digital creative.
- West Cyberjaya – This district will produce skilled talent for innovation efforts and research and development work based in South
- Cyberjaya.
- North Cyberjaya – The Global Business District, where smart city solutions will be used.
- Downtown Cyberjaya – The centre for the adoption of technology for both commercial and community activities.
Roni Shah said, “In today’s changing world, it is imperative that Cyberjaya is revitalised in continuing our focus on technology-based industries. An implementation plan formulated by our consultant Roland Berger, have enabled us to place a lot of thought into how the masterplan will transform Cyberjaya into a vibrant Global Tech Hub, in an inclusive and closed-loop fashion. Additionally, we are confident that our three tech clusters will drive development in emerging technology solutions and will be the innovation hub for an entire value chain across the mobility, healthcare, and digital creative clusters.”
John Low from Roland Berger said, “The masterplan involves a very comprehensive and holistic ecosystem development plan that was formulated based on five key elements – Facilities, Community, Activities, Experience, and Incentives. We have conducted a number of benchmarks across different hubs globally to develop this plan and from our findings, we sought to create significant differentiations for Cyberjaya. More importantly, we wanted to ensure that the plan is suitable in the Malaysian context and its industries. It is planned for the future and is designed to create new synergies between companies from various industries and the entire value chain. By anchoring on the three tech clusters, we hope that this new plan will enhance international recognition for Cyberjaya.”
In addition to targeting big MNCs, the new masterplan will provide a conducive environment for nurturing local SMEs by working closely with R&D institutions, universities and various stakeholders such as incubators, partners, and government agencies. Comprehensive and engaging programmes have been developed to bring stakeholders from the tech industry together, establishing Cyberjaya as the centre for knowledge exchange.
Jin Xi from Poladrone shared how his company has benefitted from Cyberjaya’s tech ecosystem, “As one of the industry players, we moved to Cyberjaya to work closely with Futurise Centre, a subsidiary under Cyberview which manages the National Regulatory Sandbox (NRS). With Cyberjaya’s offering of a Drone Testing Zone (DTZ), it made sense for us to set up operations here. Additionally, with the relevant authorities, government agencies and ecosystem players that are largely based here, it is easier for us to communicate and discuss pertinent opportunities to develop drone-based solutions for the benefit of the community. And of course, Cyberjaya provides access to a strong talent pool which our company can tap into.”
To conclude, Roni said, “With the new masterplan, we can create growth opportunities for tech companies to venture into Research, Development, and Commercialisation (R&D&C), attracting local and global companies to set up operations and conduct high-value innovations in Cyberjaya. We would like to see new creators and innovators coming into the city to maximise this platform for their solutions. Ultimately, we believe that the new masterplan will catalyse development in our city, placing Cyberjaya at the forefront of Malaysia’s tech capabilities. We draw on our role as a testbed for innovations, envisioning solutions developed within our smart city adopted and deployed in other parts of Malaysia and regionally.”
