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BIZ & FINANCE FRIDAY | NOV 13, 2026

16

Malaysian Paper

/thesundaily /

Eppendorf builds its first Southeast Asia facility to strengthen presence in region BATU KAWAN: German life science company Eppendorf SE has strengthened its Asia Pacific presence by establishing its first Southeast Asia manufacturing facility in Penang to bring production closer to regional customers. CEO Dr Christine Munz said Asia Pacific has become one of the company’s fastest-growing markets, making it increasingly important to establish regional manufacturing operations to support sustained growth and meet customer demand. “It is so important to be within the region, to manufacture within the region, for the region, to ensure that growth is sustainable and directed to our customers,“ she said in her speech at the facility’s groundbreaking ceremony here yesterday. Munz said the Penang facility will also support Eppendorf’s efforts to maintain its competitiveness, expand its product portfolio and sustain its business growth globally. In a statement issued after the event, Mida CEO Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid said Eppendorf’s investment reflects Malaysia’s position as a competitive destination for high-value, technology-driven manufacturing. “Aligned with the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030, the new Penang facility will strengthen the country’s life sciences and medical technology ecosystem while supporting skilled jobs, supplier development and deeper integration into global value chains. “Mida is committed to working with Eppendorf and our partners in Penang throughout the implementation and the project’s progress towards production,“ he added. The €40 million investment at Bandar Cassia Technology Park marks Eppendorf’s first manufacturing facility in Southeast Asia. It will produce selected products from its centrifuges and instruments portfolio for laboratories and scientific workplaces worldwide. The 4.85-hectare site will have a planned built-up area of about 172,222 sq ft, comprising production, warehousing, offices, quality-related functions and logistics facilities. Production is expected to begin in 2028, with full operational maturity targeted by 2030. Eppendorf expects to create about 130 jobs by end-2029.

MRANTI targets five innovation areas for pilot projects

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) is targeting pilot projects across five priority areas within six to 12 months as it seeks to accelerate the commercialisation of research and technology innovations. The five areas identified under I-Nation 2026 are healthy ageing, food security, the palm oil industry, the low-altitude economy and autonomous mobility. MRANTI, an agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti), said the initiatives would bring together government agencies, industry players, researchers, regulators and funding providers to identify solutions that could be developed into pilot projects. Themed “Mission to Action”, I Nation 2026 was held at a hotel yesterday, moving away from the conventional conference format to five working sessions known as Mission Labs. MRANTI CEO Ashran Ghazi said The

non-residential buildings (RM4.0 billion) formed the largest component. Sarawak and Wilayah Persekutuan followed with RM5.7 billion (11.4%) and RM5 billion (10.1%), respectively. Summarising the performance of construction work done for the first three quarters of 2026, the sector registered a total value of RM143.9 billion, up 8.8% from the same period in 2025. Growth was moderate compared with the 13.3% recorded in the first three quarters of 2025. This performance was supported by positive growth across all sub-sectors, particularly special trade activities (18.3%) and non-residential buildings (15.8%) sub-sectors. had strong research capabilities, innovative companies, established institutions and talented people, but needed to translate these strengths into technologies that could be put to practical use. “Our priority now is to build on these strengths so that more technologies are put to use, our companies can compete and the solutions we develop meet the country’s needs,” he commented. Meanwhile, the healthy ageing mission has identified MRIC Healthcare Sdn Bhd as its first anchor partner, with MRANTI finalising a collaboration agreement with the company to develop pilot projects addressing industry needs. At I-Nation 2026, MRIC Healthcare exchanged memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with four partners. Its collaboration with the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia focuses on raising awareness of liver cancer and improving access to screening and early diagnosis, while its partnership with ACT4Health Senior Clinic Sdn Bhd covers community health screening and disease prevention. The collaboration with Sena Healthcare focuses on caregiver training and certification, as well as transport and escort services for patients attending medical appointments. Meanwhile, its partnership with Management and Science University (MSU) covers research into artificial intelligence applications in health sciences and the development of integrated medical applications. Separately, MRIC Healthcare is planning to sign MoUs with CelcomDigi Mobile Sdn Bhd and CelcomDigi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd to support the country’s healthy ageing agenda through emerging technologies and innovative healthcare delivery. I-Nation 2026 also hosted the Global Sandbox Forum, which brought together regulators, sandbox operators, industry representatives and international partners to strengthen cross-border cooperation.

o Priority sectors are healthy ageing, food security, palm oil industry, low-altitude economy and autonomous mobility

considered for wider adoption. The first three Mission Labs, covering healthy ageing, food security and the palm oil industry, support selected national initiatives from among the seven Mission-Oriented Initiatives approved by the National Science Council. The other two, focusing on the low-altitude economy and autonomous mobility, target emerging opportunities driven by industry demand. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang said Malaysia must ensure its research and innovation capabilities deliver measurable benefits to the public and industry. He emphasised that the country

the sessions were designed to establish clear next steps for each potential pilot project, with the agency coordinating collaboration among the relevant stakeholders. “MRANTI’s role is to coordinate collaboration among regulators, potential industry adopters, researchers, technology providers and funding providers so that pilot projects can be carried out within clear timeframes and with agreed outcomes,” he stated. The selected solutions will be taken forward by teams known as Execution Pods, with findings from the pilot projects assessed based on operational performance, financial viability and social impact before they are

Chang witnesses the exchange of memorandum of understanding between MRIC Healthcare and four partners.

Construction sector’s work value rises to RM49.5 billion in Q3 PUTRAJAYA: The value of work done in the construction sector rose to RM49.5 billion in the third quarter of 2026, sustaining its upward increased by 3.6% (Q2 2026: 2.7%) in the third quarter of 2026. RM6.2 billion (share:

done by the public sector increased by 2.2% (Q2 2026: 4.1%) to RM16.3 billion, representing 32.8% of the total. This performance was supported primarily by the non-residential buildings sub-sector, which rebounded to 17.8% (Q2 2026: -8%). By state, construction activity remained concentrated in Selangor, Johor, Sarawak and Wilayah Persekutuan (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan), which jointly accounted for 64.7% of total work done. Selangor retained the top position at RM11.2 billion (22.7%), anchored by the non-residential buildings (RM4.5 billion) and residential buildings (RM2.7 billion) sub-sectors. Johor ranked second with RM10.1 billion (20.5%), where

12.6%), supported by electrical installation (RM1.4 billion), sites preparation (RM1.2 billion) and plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation (RM1.1 billion) activities. The private sector remained the main driver of growth in this quarter, contributing RM33.3 billion or 67.2% of the total value of work done. The private sector registered a growth of 12.7% (Q2 2026: 11.4%), driven by the non-residential buildings (21.8%) and special trade activities (20.9%) sub-sectors. Notably, civil engineering sub-sector in the private sector rebounded, growing 8.7% after a contraction of 6.8% in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, the value of work

The civil engineering sub-sector remained the main contributor to the total value of work done this quarter, at RM16.9 billion (share: 34.1%). This was driven by the construction of utility projects (RM9.4 billion) and construction of roads and railways (RM5.6 billion). The non-residential buildings sub-sector recorded RM15.7 billion, with its share increase to 31.6% from 28.5% in the same quarter of 2025, further narrowing the gap with the civil engineering sub-sector. The residential buildings sub-sector registered RM10.7 billion (share: 21.7%), while the special trade activities sub-sector contributed

momentum with growth of 9.0% (Q2 2026: 8.8%), according to the Department of Statistics, Malaysia (DoSM) yesterday. The performance was mainly driven by the non-residential buildings sub sector, which grew to 21.1%. The special trade activities sub-sector also sustained double-digit expansion at 13.2%, while the residential buildings and civil engineering sub-sectors grew at a more moderate pace of 2.7% and 2.2%, respectively. Meanwhile, on a quarter-on quarter basis, the value of work done