[London, UK, 23 November 2022] – IoT Tribe, together with the UK Government’s Digital Trade Network announces today the launch of the UK-Malaysia Digital Innovation Programme run in partnership with Sunway iLabs, the innovation arm of Sunway Group and Sunway University, MyDigital Corporation (Economic Planning Unit of Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s Department) and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
The UK-Malaysia Digital Innovation Programme aims to connect UK tech businesses with leading Malaysian corporates and to take advantage of the fast-growing market opportunities in this region.
It was launched by His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner to Asia Pacific, Natalie Black CBE alongside Andrew Mitchell CMG, Director General, Exports & UK Trade, DIT at London Tech Week 2022 in June 2022.
This inaugural programme is supported by the Digital Trade Network, MyDigital Corporation, MDEC and one of Malaysia’s largest conglomerates, Sunway Group.
“I am delighted to see applications open for the UK-Malaysia Digital Innovation Programme, which we launched at this year’s London Tech Week. This is a unique opportunity for UK start-ups to increase their exposure in Malaysia and work with a well known corporate in Sunway Group and the Malaysian Government. I look forward to seeing this first cohort of UK start-ups thriving in Malaysia.”
– Natalie Black CBE, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner to Asia Pacific
The UK-Malaysia Digital Innovation Programme is a platform for UK companies to connect with Malaysia’s tech ecosystem and explore potential commercial or partnership opportunities in Malaysia; a pathway for potential entry into Sunway iLabs’ Net Zero Lab, which offer an up to US$1 million investment upon selection, workshops to help UK companies design meaningful collaborations with local ecosystem partners, and opportunities for follow-on investments to expand regionally; and an opportunity to pitch for potential pilot projects with Sunway and the Malaysian ecosystem through the in-person Demo Day in Malaysia.
“In line with Sunway’s aspiration to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, we are excited announce the launch of the Net Zero Lab that aims to invest in global ventures that focuses on developing the sustainable ecosystem in Malaysia and increase urban resilience against climate change.”
– Matt van Leeuwen, Chief Innovation Officer of Sunway Group & Director of Sunway iLabs
Applications are now open till 20 January 2023. The programme is seeking for UK startups with products and solutions in the areas of Food Security, Smart Cities, Circular Economy, Renewable & Efficient Energy. To find out more and apply, please visit our website.
“We are excited to be working with the UK Department of International Trade, Sunway Group, MDEC and MyDigital on the UK-Malaysia Digital Innovation Programme, and look forward to enabling a cohort of outstanding Net Zero startups to expand into a burgeoning market in Malaysia, with trade between the two countries worth over £5.6 billion this year.”
– Tanya Suarez, Founder & CEO, IoT Tribe
Interested companies can join the Launch Event held on 6 December 2022 at 0900 to 1030 GMT / 1700 to 1830 MYT. Participants can expect to learn more about Sunway’s net zero strategy & innovation roadmap, and the opportunities with Sunway and the Malaysia tech ecosystem. Further details on the UK-Malaysia Digital Innovation Programme will also be shared. To RSVP for the event, register your interest on our website.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Thomas Conlon, IoT Tribe
tom@iottribe.org
Lon Ai Lyn, Sunway iLabs
lonal.sunway.com.my
Held In partnership With
About the UK Department for International Trade
The Department for International Trade (DIT) helps businesses export, drives inward and outward investment, negotiates market access and trade deals, and champions free trade.
We are an international economic department, responsible for:
- supporting and encouraging UK businesses to drive sustainable international growth
- ensuring the UK remains a leading destination for international investment
- opening markets, moulding the trade environment with new and existing partners which is free and fair
- using trade and investment to underpin the government’s agenda for a Global Britain and its ambitions for prosperity, stability and security worldwide.
For more information, please visit http://gov.uk/dit
About IoT Tribe
IoT Tribe accelerates the growth and adoption of disruptive technologies globally. As a trusted partner to corporates, government agencies, investors, startups, SMEs and other ecosystem players across industry verticals worldwide, IoT Tribe brings together communities where tech talent and partnerships can thrive.
We enable corporates and the public sector to disrupt the future through fast-track technology adoption and co-creation, data-driven insights, accelerators, strategic tech initiatives and programmes. We achieve this through a unique, highly collaborative and curated technology ecosystem that drives disruption. We offer our partners unparalleled access to technologies and partnerships that can fuel their businesses and startups access to an equity-free accelerator that will help them scale.
For more information, please visit www.iottribe.org
About Sunway iLabs
Launched in 2017, Sunway Innovation Labs (Sunway iLabs), the innovation arm of Sunway Group and Sunway University, aims to foster entrepreneurship and stimulate market-driven innovations, to help entrepreneurs become more competitive in this rapidly changing environment. It is well connected with the wider start-up ecosystem in Malaysia and abroad through collaborators and strategic partnerships, to enable entrepreneurs to scale their business faster. Sunway iLabs was awarded Outstanding Property Development for Start-ups in 2019 and Outstanding Incubator/Coworking Space in 2021 by the Malaysian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (MCVA). It is structured as a unique, smart partnership between Sunway Group, Sunway Ventures/Sunway CVC and Sunway University.
For more information, log on to https://innovationlabs.sunway.edu.my/
About MDEC
MDEC was established in 1996 as the lead agency to implement the MSC Malaysia initiative. Today, we are an agency under the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia (KKMM) with a close to 25-year track-record of successfully leading the ICT and digital economy growth in Malaysia. Malaysia’s central geographical location in ASEAN, its young & digitally-savvy population, multicultural & multilingual tapestry, easy access to capital & regional markets, ease of doing business, certainty of business operating environment and legal system, comparative value and high standard of living, makes it the natural choice to land and grow your digital business here. MDEC’s aspiration is to firmly establish Malaysia as the Heart of Digital ASEAN, a regional digital powerhouse launching global champions to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution, ensuring our digital economy will drive shared prosperity for all Malaysians.
For more information, please visit https://mdec.my
About MyDigital
MyDIGITAL Corporation, also known as the Strategic Change Management Office (SCMO), was established as a special purpose vehicle under the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), Prime Minister’s Department (JPM).
MyDIGITAL Corporation is responsible for overseeing the implementation of change management at the national level, focusing on the formulation of strategic plans and initiatives for the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MDEB) and the National Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Policy.
Additionally, MyDIGITAL Corporation monitors the progress and evaluates the implementation performance, as well as the overall outcome of the digital economy and 4IR agenda; besides acting as the secretariat for the National Digital Economy and 4IR Council (MED4IRN) that is supported by the secretariat at the cluster level.
Malaysia aspires to be a high-income nation driven by digitalisation and a regional leader in digital economy. MyDIGITAL Corporation aims to help the rakyat master technology in order to improve their quality and standard of living.
The Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint envisions Malaysia to be a regional leader in digital economy and achieve an inclusive, responsible and sustainable socio-economic development.
For more information, please visit https://mydigital.gov.my
