The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Malaysia (Malaysia Centre for 4IR) was officially launched today by the Minister of Economy, Rafizi Ramli and the President of the World Economic Forum, Børge Brende. Located at Menara PjH, it is the 19th centre out of the 25 centres across the world.
Malaysia Centre for 4IR will play a crucial role in driving the advancement of the digital economy in Malaysia, with a focus on supporting the country’s digital transformation and advancements in fast-growing sectors including green energy transition.
The centre will serve as a public-private platform, bringing together leaders from government, business, civil society, academia and other sectors to advance new partnerships and initiatives that can unlock the value of technology for Malaysia’s economy and society.
The centre is hosted by MyDIGITAL Corporation, a national initiative aimed at transforming Malaysia into a digitally-driven, high-income nation and a regional leader.
“This initiative marks a significant milestone in Malaysia’s journey towards becoming a global leader in technology governance and innovation. The Malaysia Centre for 4IR is the first Centre in the Asia-Pacific region as part of the World Economic Forum’s global Centre for 4IR Network.”
The Malaysia Centre for 4IR is the first centre in the Asia-Pacific region as part of the World Economic Forum’s global Centre for 4IR Network. With this launch, Malaysia joins a community where new and innovative approaches to technology governance, adoption and scaling are being developed and implemented at the national, regional and international levels.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in his pre-recorded opening speech, “Malaysia is honoured to be part of the global network of Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution with the first centre for 4IR in Southeast Asia. This is a testament to the critical value of Malaysia’s efforts to become an advanced, digitally-driven, high-income nation and a regional digital economy leader fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and collaborations between stakeholders. The Malaysia Centre for 4IR will further strengthen Malaysia’s human-centred policy towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution and contribute towards our target of entering the Top 20 in the Global Innovation Index. We are confident that a resilience-oriented approach will also improve the nation’s People’s Wellbeing Index score and enhance productivity to create inclusive, balanced, responsible and sustainable economic growth.”
Addressing the leaders at the launch event, World Economic Forum President Børge Brende said, “Malaysia’s leadership in the region and commitment to driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution is commendable. Through the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Malaysia, we are excited to work together with the government, business, and civil society leaders to unlock the value of technology for the benefit of all Malaysians. This partnership will not only drive transformation but also help build a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future for Malaysia and the region.”
He added that the digital economy contributes up to 15% of global GDP, and is fast growing at a rate of over 2.5 times.
Minister of Economy Rafizi Ramli said, “Today’s launch reflects a critical insight in Malaysia’s innovation journey: Innovation is a team sport and collaboration is essential. The economic case for innovation has become indisputable through the decades. The Malaysian Centre for 4IR shall act as a necessary impetus, starting with a dual focus of energy transition and digital transformation.”
Following the official launch, the centre hosted two roundtable discussions to address its thematic priorities, inviting leaders from business, government and other sectors to share their key priorities and opportunities for the energy transition and digital transformation. These insights will serve as the foundation for the Malaysia Centre for 4IR’s core initiatives, informing its strategic planning and program development.
MyDIGITAL CEO Fabian Bigar said, “MyDIGITAL team is proud to be entrusted with the responsibility of making Centre for 4IR Malaysia a success in achieving its goals. Prior to this, we have been dedicating our efforts to driving quality growth in Malaysia’s digital economy guided by the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint and National 4IR Policy to spur Malaysia’s transformation into a high-tech nation by 2030. The establishment of the Centre for 4IR Malaysia aligns with and further fortifies our initiatives to catalyse homegrown technology development by enhancing collaborative opportunities among stakeholders to unlock value in 4IR technologies, with a focus on supporting the country’s energy transition and digital transformation.”
From adoption to transformation to regional leadership, the Malaysia Centre for 4IR is a critical establishment that will help drive the country’s transition towards an advanced digital economy. By joining the global ecosystem of technology governance innovators and leaders, Malaysia Centre for 4IR is poised to contribute significantly to Malaysia’s economic and social development in the years to come.
The World Economic Forum’s global Centre for 4IR network is a platform for multistakeholder collaboration, bringing together the public and private sectors to maximize technological benefits to society while minimizing the risks associated with 4IR technologies.
