KUALA LUMPUR (March 17): The market for industrial robots in Malaysia is projected to reach RM103.1 billion by 2030, surpassing the targeted amount in the National Robotics Roadmap 2021–2030.
However, the adoption of robotics by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is far less than among multinational corporations (MNCs), with MSMEs making up only between 3% and 5% of the market over the forecast period.
This disparity is a concern that needs to be addressed, said Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) deputy secretary general (technology development) Datuk Dr Mohd Nor Azman Hassan.
This is one of the findings highlighted by the first series of the Malaysian National Robotics Industry Country Report (NRICR) on Value Creation that was released by the Malaysia Robotics and Automation Society (MyRAS) during the Intelligent Manufacturing Conference 2023.
The Intelligent Manufacturing Conference 2023 is currently being held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from March 16 to 18, with the theme “SMEs 4.0: Moving up in the Manufacturing Value Chain”.
MyRAS was commissioned by Mosti to develop the National Robotics Roadmap approved by the government in the National Digital Economy 4IR Council in 2021, with the aim to improve the robot density in Malaysia from 55 units per 10,000 employees in 2019 to 195 units in 2030.
The NRICR presents the landscape of the robotics market in Malaysia, providing insights on the producers and users utilising robotic technologies, including MNCs and MSMEs.
Another finding by the NRICR is that despite the detrimental effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy, the robotics industry thrived, especially service robots, with a market value of RM92.29 billion in 2022.
To facilitate the growth of the robotics ecosystem players in Malaysia, a National Robotics Hub at MRANTI Park, Bukit Jalil will be set up. The hub will be set up via a partnership between MyRAS, the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IOT Institute (MARii), and international partners.
The international partners include the International Alliance of Robotics Association, Zhejiang Robot Industry Association, Zhejiang Intelligent Robotics Research Institute and Hangzhou Automation Technology Institute.
The robotics hub will also entail the nurturing of local talents to meet the industry’s demand for future robotics professionals by providing relevant training and development opportunities.
According to MRANTI chief executive officer Dzuleira Abu Bakar, the NRICR will be a baseline to further improve the adoption of robotics applications in the various industry sectors in Malaysia. It will provide an overview of the state of robotics technology in the country, including its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
“Through this collaboration, we believe that the local adoption of robotics in the industry will increase as local and global robotics technology partners especially in the manufacturing sectors. They are able to showcase, test and develop prototype products within a conducive environment with high tech infrastructures.
“MRANTI will utilise advanced technologies from the 4IR, including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, and the Internet of Things (IOT), to develop their focused clusters on dronetech, healthtech, agritech and 4IR enabling technologies with an emphasis on tech commercialisation,” said Dzuleira.
Meanwhile, MyRAS president Professor Dr Ishkandar Baharin said that the NRICR on Value Creation promotes the shift of the Malaysian robotic ecosystem from value-add to value-creation that is sustainable through high-impact problem solving and high-impact innovative solutions.
“The aim of this report is to provide market intelligence on the future investment and trade prospects of the robotics industry in Malaysia. The report shows 87% of the robotic technology companies are made up of industry players where MSMEs form a majority of 85%.
Ishkandar said, “66% of these MSMEs are from the manufacturing sector.”
MARii through its mandate to spearhead the National Blueprint on Automotive Robotics will be supporting the National Robotics and Innovation Hub by enhancing the automotive and mobility sectors in manufacturing as well as services in supporting Next Generation Vehicle development in Malaysia.