Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) Dato’ Sri Dr Adham Baba today announced Malaysia’s participation in the UAE government’s Expo 2020 Dubai 5-year legacy programme, where the Malaysia Pavilion at the event site will be retained and repurposed for the next 5 years.
The Pavilion will be Malaysian Technology and Innovation Hub in the UAE and will be retained as government-owned and operated by a private Malaysian company for the next 5 years.
The Hub will operate on a public-private partnership model where both the Malaysian government and the private entity can utilise this facility to host officials and dignitaries as well as a platform to promote technology-based products and services.
“Malaysia Pavilion’s transformation into a Technology and Innovation Hub reflects our country’s ambition of becoming a globally competitive digital nation,” said Dr Adham Baba at the handover ceremony in Dubai.
“This also reinforces our government’s commitment to contribute to the global technology development and to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation with the UAE.”
In selecting the company which would operate the Hub, a Steering Committee chaired by the MOSTI’s Secretary General Datuk Zainal Abidin Abu Hassan, was set up to ensure the candidates meet the programmes criteria of being a key player in the main sectors of smart city, smart logistics, smart mobility or Industry 4.0.
Following this, the Committee will oversee the ownership of the Technology and Innovation Hub and to ensure that it achieves what it has set out to accomplish.
Malaysia’s homegrown Aerodyne Group that is also a global player as No.1 Drone Service provider was selected to take over operations of the Pavilion in the UAE.
Dr Adham Baba said, “We recognise that our partner in this programme should be one that shares the same aspirations for innovation. Aerodyne Group is recognised as the global leader in the drone service sector. Their technological footprint extends to areas such as smart mobility and smart logistic sectors. With their capabilities and network, the Malaysian Technology and Innovation Hub will prove to be an invaluable asset for their growth in the region.”
Aerodyne Group will be utilising this facility as their second global headquarters.
The Expo 2020 Dubai 5-year Legacy Programme is part of the UAE government’s long-term initiative of repurposing the event site as an integrated mixed-use community known as District 2020 after the conclusion of the World Expo.
