Transactions valued at RM350 Million Announced for Bio-Based Industry

Johor Bahru, October 21 2013 – The BioMalaysia and Bioeconomy Asia Pacific 2013 Conference and Exhibition was officially opened by the Menteri Besar of Johor, YAB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin at the Persada International Convention Centre. Also in attendance were the Exco of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry of Johor, YB Tuan Haji Ismail bin Mohamad, Secretary General of Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI), YBhg Dato’ Dr. Rosli Mohamed, Secretary General of Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry (MOA), YBhg. Dato’ Mohd Hashim Bin Abdullah, State Secretary of Johor, YBhg Dato’ Haji Obet Bin Tawil and the Chairman of BiotechCorp, YBhg Professor Emeritus Dato’ Sri Dr. Zakri Abdul Hamid.

The three day conference and exhibition, held for the first time outside of Kuala Lumpur, is regarded as one of the leading biotechnology event in the region. This year’s edition will see participation of 160 exhibitors and more than 250 local and international conference delegates.

“Hosting this conference in Johor will further strengthen the state’s position as an emerging biotechnology hub” said Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled. He added that Johor has what it takes to be a strong partner for the biotechnology industry. As evidence, Iskandar Malaysia is already hosting the state-of-the-art biotechnology manufacturing ecosystem of Bio-XCell in Nusajaya and the state is committed to attract other biotechnology catalytic development projects to find a home here.

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin also pointed out that it is certainly worth noting that Johor has also moved in tandem with the national aspiration and emerged with its very own bioeconomy agenda based on the state government’s vision to encourage both domestic and international investments in this sector. Johor’s bioeconomy potential will be further accelerated with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between BiotechCorp and Johor Biotechnology and Biodiversity Corporation (J-Biotech). This collaboration will serve as one of the main thrust for the development of the state’s bioeconomy agenda, paving the way towards the acceleration of Johor’s bio-based industry with potentially contributing more than RM10 billion to the state’s gross domestic product by year 2020.

Commenting on the conference, BiotechCorp’s chief executive, Dato’ Dr. Mohd Nazlee said that BioMalaysia provides the biotechnology players with a strategic platform to engage in this fast growing bio-based industry. He added that the growing number of international participations at BioMalaysia signifies Malaysia’s rising leadership in the region’s biotechnology industry.

Amongst the highlights at the official opening ceremony was the nine Memorandums of Understanding document exchanges between leading bio-based institutions and companies with potential investments of RM350 million.

Among the notable collaborations:

1. Malaysian Bio-XCell, Stelis Biopharma and GE Healthcare for the development of the Biomanufacturing Industry in Malaysia. The Stelis Facility at Bio-XCell is designed by Stelis together with GE Healthcare, who will supply a state of the art integrated flexfactory solution disposable technology platform for the Stelis Facility. This project is worth RM110 million in total investments.
2. Exchange of Business Service Agreement between Haemonetics and Sanmina is an investment worth RM120 million and is for the manufacturing and assembling of HAE blood management electro-mechanical medical devices at their Penang facility, which shall serve the global market.
3. Technology Transfer Agreement between Amplio Ingredients Sdn Bhd and Pharma Foods International Co. Ltd for the setting up of a high biotechnology manufacturing plant in Malaysia for the production of “OVOPRON ^(TM)” Defatted Egg Yolk Powder and Egg Oil. This project is valued at RM20 million.
4. Tropical Oysters Sdn Bhd and Bio Desaru Sdn Bhd for the development of an integrated hatchery, nursery, and grow-out farm at Bio Desaru Food Valley, Johor, for the cultivation of tropical oyster for domestic and export markets. This collaboration is worth RM 15 million in investments.

Another highlight at this year’s event was the announcement on the launch the Bioeconomy Transformation Programme (BTP) Annual Report 2013 by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and BiotechCorp. The report highlights the achievements of the BTP after a full year of implementation since its official launch by the YAB Prime Minister on 30 October 2012.

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