THE NCER Technology Innovation Centre (NTIC) project in Bayan Lepas is nearing completion and is expected to begin operations in December this year.
Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) chief executive officer Mohamad Haris Kader Sultan announced that the 23,000sq ft facility, located in Hilir Sungai Kluang 2, has reached 97% completion to date.
“The NTIC in Bayan Lepas is on track to be fully completed by November,” he told Buletin Mutiara during a working visit by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow this evening.
The NCIA is driving the growth of the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER), working towards transforming it into a world-class economic region by implementing high-value development programmes.
Mohamad Haris stressed that the NTIC is set to become a leading technology hub, aimed at strengthening industry clusters, integrating supply chain value, and fostering a culture of innovation and technological advancement.
“Our focus will be on five key sectors – Electrical and Electronics (E&E), Machinery and Equipment (M&E), Medical Equipment and Devices, Aerospace, and Agri-Technology,” he added.
Chow welcomed the progress, noting that the NTIC would serve as a centre to promote and support high-value activities, including product development, product design, research and development (R&D), technological advancement, innovation, intellectual property (IP) creation, commercialisation, and talent development.
“This initiative has the potential to generate new high-value job opportunities,” he said following a briefing session by Mohamad Haris and his team.
During the meeting, Mohamad Haris praised Penang for its well-established economic ecosystem.
“The state has developed a robust and mature ecosystem.
“We received a lot of positive feedback and interest from potential investors during our trade missions,” he said.
Mohamad Haris also highlighted several key NTIC initiatives, including the Advanced Technology Meister Programme (ATMP), Centre of Excellence Provider (CoEP), Centre of Excellence User (CoEU), and the Technology & Innovation (T&I) platform.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Siew Chia En