Forthcoming Events

 

1)  7 January 2019 Visit and Briefing Sesssion on UM Living Labs,

     Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur


MASSA will be organising a visit and briefing session on UM Living Labs at Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur on 7 January 2019 at 10:00am for MASSA members at:-  

UM Eco-Campus Secretariat & UM Living Labs
The Cube, Level 4
Research Management & Innovation Complex (RMIC)
Universiti Malaya
50603 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603-7967 4635
Person-In-Charge: Ms. Nur Fatehah Raudhah

 

The UM Living Lab Grant Programme (UM LLGP) was set up under the purview of Sustainability Science Research Cluster (SUSCI), with strategic partnership between DVC (Research & Innovation) and DVC (Development) UM.  The Philosophy behind the Living Lab idea is to convert university campuses to Living Labs which is a combined lab/household system, analysing existing product‐service‐systems as well as technical and socioeconomic influences focused on the social needs of people, aiming at the development of integrated technical and social innovations and simultaneously promoting the conditions of sustainable development (highest resource efficiency, highest user orientation, etc).

UM LLGP serves as a knowledge/action research platform for the Department of Development and Estate Maintenance (JPPHB) as the process owner (in waste management, water management, energy management, and greening & biodiversity) to gradually improve the sustainability of their operations.

The Value of Living Labs to UM 

Source: https://www.um.edu.my/um-living-labs-umll

 


(2)  20 February 2020 – Visit and Briefing at Technology Park Malaysia,

      Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 


Technology Park Malaysia Corporation Sdn Bhd (TPM) is the innovation facilitator and technology enabler of Malaysia. It was established by the Ministry of Finance, Malaysia in 1996 and operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC).

As the national driver of innovation and technology, TPM manages and operates Malaysia’s leading and premier 686-acre technology park campus in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. With its modern infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities, it boasts as the only 4th generation incubator service provider in the country offering a comprehensive range of services.

More than 3,000 technology driven companies have benefited from TPM – both local and multi-national within various clusters of industry. The ICT cluster had recorded the highest tenancy within TPM followed by Engineering and Biotech, Telecommunication and Content, and Support Services.

Malaysian companies, particularly the SMEs, can benefit from the assistance and support provided by TPM in technology commercialisation through their advisory and consultancy services in technology transfer facilitation, project management, strategic management advice, market research and opportunity analysis and professional development programs.

We are pleased to inform that a visit and briefing session at TPM have been arranged for MASSA members on 20 February 2020 at 10:00am at:-

Technology Park Malaysia Corporation Sdn Bhd
Level 5, Enterprise 4
Bukit Jalil
57000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603 8998 2020
Website: http://www.tpm.com.my/about-tpm/

 


(3)  20 – 23 April 2020 – 6th Transform Africa Smart Summit at Conarkry, Guinea


 

Smart Africa – Business Linkages with African Countries

(https://smartafrica.org/about/overview/)

SMART Africa is a bold and innovative commitment from African Heads of State and Government to accelerate sustainable socioeconomic development on the continent, ushering Africa into a knowledge economy through affordable access to Broadband and usage of Information and Communications Technologies.

The Transform Africa Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda on 28th-31st October 2013 culminated in the adoption of the Smart Africa Manifesto document by seven (7) African Heads of States (Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Mali, Gabon, Burkina Faso) in which they committed to provide leadership in accelerating socio-economic development through ICT’s.

On 30th-31st January 2014, The SMART Africa Manifesto was endorsed by all Heads of State and Government of the African Union at the 22nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa. This development places the Manifesto at the heart of the ICT agenda in Africa beyond just the 7 original signatories at the Summit to all the 53 African countries.

The Smart Africa Alliance has since grown to include 24 African countries that represent 600+ million people.

The Alliance is a framework for implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the SMART Africa Manifesto designed to make it actionable. Currently, the Alliance is a partnership bringing together all African countries adhering to the Manifesto represented by the AU, the ITU, World Bank, AfDB, ECA, the GSMA, ICANN and the Private Sector.

Besides its initial membership, other organizations and countries sharing the same vision, interests and goals will be admitted to the Alliance.

The SMART Africa Alliance has five pillars which reflect the five principles of the Smart Africa Manifesto. These pillars are:-  

(1) Policy,

(2) Access,

(3) e-Government,

(4) Private Sector/Entrepreneurship and

(5) Sustainable Development.

 

The pillars mentioned above are built on four, cross-cutting enablers which will support the implementation of SMART Africa. These enablers are:- 

(1) Innovation

(2) Communications and Advocacy

(3) Capacity Building and

(4) Resource Mobilization.

 

The five pillars and four enablers, when effectively developed and combined, will contribute to Economic Growth and Job creation which remains the ultimate goal of the Smart Africa Manifesto.

 

Country flagships:

High-Tech Parks

 

Republic of Angola

Innovation & Knowledge Cities

 

Republic of Benin

Capacity Building / Smart Africa Scholarship Fund

 

Republic of Burkina Faso

Creative Economy

 

Republic of Chad

Cyber Security

 

Republic of Cote d’Ivoire

Data Centers

 

Republic of Djibouti

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

 

Republic of Egypt

ICT Industry Development

 

Republic of Gabon

Intra-african cross-border connectivity

 

Republic of Guinea

SMART e-Payment

 

Republic of Ghana

Digital Economy

 

Republic of Kenya

Entrepreneurship Youth Innovation and Job Creation

 

Republic of Mali

SMART Villages

 

Republic of Niger

SMART Cities & Communities

 

Republic of Rwanda

Electricity for 125M families

 

Republic of Rwanda

Africa Digital Literacy

 

Republic of South Sudan

Access (Broadband) & Green Economy

 

Republic of Senegal

SMART Energy & Blue Economy

 

Republic of Togo

Big Data & Data Measurement for Development

 

Republic of Uganda

Start-up and Innovations Ecosystems

 

Republic of Tunisia

Source: https://smartafrica.org/country-flagships/#

 

The Transform Africa Summit is the Smart Africa flagship event. Following five successful editions, the sixth summit will take place in Conakry, Guinea, from 20 – 23 April 2020.  Source: https://transformafricasummit.org/en/

Under the theme “Integrating Africa”, the Summit is expected to attract over 4000 participants, including Heads of State and Government, First Ladies, UN Broadband Commissioners, Regulators, Public & Private Sector, International Organizations, Industry Leaders, Investors, Entrepreneurs, Young Innovators, Civil Society and Academia.

Mr Ismail Nabe of the Malaysian African Professionals and Entrepreneurs Association (MAPE) informed that the Director-General of SMART Africa visited the Ministry of International Trade & Industry (MITI) in October 2019 and had invited Malaysia to the Transform Africa 2020 event.

This is in line with the MITI’s strategy to promote Malaysian businesses in and with Africa. MITI has planned to organise Trade & Investment Mission to Africa in year 2020, led by YB Minister of MITI.   A meeting was held with MASSA to discuss potential African countries that Malaysian business people could visit to explore business opportunities.

MASSA had proposed to organise a business mission to Ethiopia and Uganda in Africa to look at new business opportunities there.  The visit could also include Mali as there are opportunities for the construction industry sector to explore projects in these countries.

 


(4)  6th Showcase Malaysia In Dhaka, Bangladesh 


The Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BMCCI) will be organising the 6th Showcase Malaysia in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2020.   MASSA will keep members informed when the dates for the event are confirmed.  Please look out in our weekly circulars for further information on this event.