MIDA applauds Jabil Penang’s efforts in accelerating automation, digitalisation in Malaysia.
The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) has praised Jabil Penang’s efforts in accelerating automation and digitalisation initiatives through its partnerships with local vendors in Malaysia.
MIDA Chief Executive Officer Datuk Arham Abdul Rahman said following Jabil’s lead, he hopes to see more collaborations, within and across industries, so that the potential of technology can be fully harnessed in their operations.
The digital economy is expected to comprise 22.6% of Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) and create over 500,000 jobs by 2025.
“Through innovations and contributions in the areas of IR4.0 (Fourth Industrial Revolution) technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality, the Internet of Things, and big data analytics, the manufacturing sector plays an empowering role in building a digitally driven, high-income nation and a regional leader in the digital economy,” he said in a statement here on Monday (Aug 1).
Jabil, a global manufacturing solutions provider, hosted an automation and digitalisation workshop in its Batu Kawan facility to strengthen its automation capabilities for greater operational and resource efficiencies.
The two-day scenario-based workshop saw Jabil Penang project leaders submit automation and digitalisation proposals which were then put through simulations and demonstrations by equipment partners and subject matter experts.
The workshop is part of a series of curated, specialised programmes that empower the existing workforce to upskill and reskill to meet evolving market demands and establish digitally-led creative approaches to address common operational issues on the shop floor.
Jabil Penang Managing Director Tan Siew Jin said while automation and digitalisation enable Jabil to unlock new potential in the areas of operational excellence, people or human labour continues to be a critical element in its ability to deliver the most progressive factories.
“With proper upskilling, development, and training programmes, our trained and certified automation engineers and technicians will continue to give us the edge in technical competencies, so we may deliver differentiated customer, supplier, and employee experiences,” he said.
He said the pandemic has created a community of engineering and operations leaders who are now armed with a greater understanding of modern enterprise solutions, collaboration tools, and cloud-based capabilities.
“We have seen the strengthened ability to enhance production systems and the manufacturing value chain since furthering our adoption of automation and digitalisation.
“With a predictable operating environment where skilled talents work safely alongside machines that can learn, think, and act, I am heartened that our initiatives across manufacturing, industrial and test engineering are in line with MIDA’s push towards high-end manufacturing and services,” he said.
Tan said Jabil looks to continue playing a visible role in collaborating via public-private and academic partnerships, creating employment opportunities for Malaysians, and actively leveraging technology transfer opportunities across its global operations.
