Malaysia Centre4IR

At The Autumn Economic Forum 2025 (HEF25), MYCentre4IR represented Malaysia alongside fellow C4IR centres for deeper exchanges on national priorities, industrial transformation, and emerging regional frameworks.

The Intelligent Age will define ASEAN’s future green and digital transformations, anchoring the region’s growth on policies that are responsible and regionally-led.

Through continued collaboration, MYCentre4IR will shape Malaysia’s transition into The Intelligent Age by leading real initiatives driven by industrial decarbonisation, corporate sustainability challenges, and new regional frameworks for safe and sustainable AI growth.

Lend us your voice by joining our community at https://www.centre4ir.my/home!

Global energy markets are being repriced in real time. Geopolitical disruptions have affected roughly 20% of global crude oil and LNG transfers, pushed tanker rates up 138% on certain routes, and stretched supply chains that Malaysia's industrial base depends on.

MYCentre4IR's latest article examines what this means for Malaysia and how the country can build resilience through digital intelligence, workflow modernisation, and the coordinated response mechanisms that the Transitioning Industrial Cluster (TIC) framework makes possible.

Read the full article at the link below:
https://buff.ly/GEr1UDL

Since its establishment in May 2023, Malaysia Centre4IR (MYCentre4IR) has worked to translate its mandate into tangible outcomes across digital transformation, energy transition, and technology governance.

Over the past three years, this has included representing Malaysia at the World Economic Forum in Davos 2025 and 2026, co-hosting the Energy Transition Meeting in ASEAN (May 2025) and the Powering the Intelligent Age Summit (October 2025) in Kuala Lumpur, presenting at the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum 2025 in Vietnam, and leading the feasibility study across ASEAN member states that resulted in the ASEAN AI Safety Network being adopted at the 47th ASEAN Leaders Summit.

MYCentre4IR is also advancing the Transitioning Industrial Clusters (TIC) initiative, a World Economic Forum-backed programme spanning 40 clusters across 20 countries, with Malaysia’s first active cluster established in Bintulu, Sarawak, and new clusters underway in Johor, Penang, and Selangor following the launch of the TIC Playbook at Davos 2026.

On the ground, MYCentre4IR has delivered programmes including the ESG Innovation Challenge in partnership with Bursa Malaysia and the Energy Literacy Programme. These efforts are complemented by a growing body of publications, including the Sustainable AI for Malaysia White Paper, the Future of Malaysia's AI Governance report, and the Industrial Transformation in ASEAN playbook.

From operationalising ASEAN AI Safe to supporting the rollout of the ASEAN Responsible AI Roadmap (2025–2030), the work ahead continues in the same direction.

Responsible technology adoption does not happen by default. It is built, deliberately, through the kind of multi-stakeholder work MYCentre4IR was established to do.

🔗 Learn more about our work: www.centre4ir.my

MYCentre4IR is Malaysia's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, established on 15 May 2023 in partnership with the World Economic Forum and hosted by MyDIGITAL Corporation. It is the first Centre of its kind in Southeast Asia, and part of WEF's global C4IR Network of 25 Centres across 5 continents.

At its core, MYCentre4IR operates as a neutral multi-stakeholder platform, bringing together government, industry, academia, and civil society to co-develop the policies, frameworks, and pilots needed to advance responsible technology adoption in Malaysia and the region.

The Centre's work spans two focus areas: digital transformation and energy transition, with both converging in initiatives like the Transitioning Industrial Clusters (TIC) programme, which works to decarbonise and future-proof Malaysia's industrial clusters through coordinated public-private action.

Malaysia is committed to building the future of technology responsibly.

🔗 Learn more about our work: www.centre4ir.my

Malaysia's perspectives on workforce readiness, green transition, and the future of work were brought to the international stage at the 2025 Gyeonggi International Forum (2025 GGIF) in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

Adrian Marcellus, Chief Executive Officer of MyDIGITAL Corporation and Head of MYCentre4IR, represented Malaysia on a panel addressing labour market navigation in the 3X Era – covering AI, digital, and green transitions. The session surfaced key discussions around platform economy employment, gig worker protections, and the growing importance of soft skills and transferable capabilities in an evolving job market.

Malaysia's participation reflects MYCentre4IR's active role in shaping inclusive, human-centred industrial transformation – ensuring that workforce protections and economic competitiveness advance together.

Through initiatives including MyMAHIR-NAICI, Rakyat Digital, and the Executive Digital Leadership Programme, MYCentre4IR continues to bridge the skills gap and build the foundations for Malaysia's transition into the Intelligent Age.

🔗 Learn more about our work at www.centre4ir.my

MyDIGITAL Corporation is inviting qualified and experienced vendors to submit proposals for the Procurement of a Research Partner to Support Malaysia Centre4IR’s Integrated 4IR Baseline Study and Agile Regulation Study.

Interested organisations must submit their registration of interest before the deadline. Upon verification, the Request for Proposal (RFP) document will be shared via the registered email.

Deadline:
Registration of interest and submission of the NDA is by 12:00 noon on Monday, 18 May 2026.

Upon receipt and verification of the signed NDA, we will send the Terms of Reference document to the registered email.

The Proposal must be submitted by 12:00 noon on Friday, 22 May 2026.

For more information and to express your interest, visit the link below:
https://buff.ly/eeRJVmn

With only six tonnes of glass recycled in 2023, how is Sunway addressing its low waste diversion? Discover the full story in the Malaysia’s ESG Innovation Impact: Corporate–Startup Partnerships for Sustainability booklet here: https://buff.ly/8jTaxXG

As a co-host of the challenge, MYCentre4IR is spotlighting the RECIRCLE and Sunway iLabs pilot in the ESG Innovation Challenge.

Through this pilot, glass waste management on campus is being reimagined with a circular economy approach, turning waste into measurable value. By combining an integrated approach, the project delivers real-time insights on recycling, carbon footprint, and participation.

The ESG Innovation Challenge is key to accelerating Malaysia’s sustainable waste management goals, supporting Sunway’s target of 40% waste diversion by 2030, and fostering lasting community habits.

From campus to nation, this marks the beginning of a new era in recycling.

Johor's industrial transition agenda is moving from vision to commitment.

On 23 April 2026, MYCentre4IR convened a closed-door, invitation-only workshop in Johor Bahru to advance alignment on the Statement of Ambition (SoA) for the Johor Transitioning Industrial Clusters (TIC) initiative. Building on the momentum of the high-level roundtable held on 16 April 2026, the session brought together state agencies, federal representatives, and strategic industry players to refine Johor's industrial transition vision and test readiness for the next phase.

At the heart of the discussion were Johor's three TIC clusters: the Digital Backbone, anchored on data centres and AI infrastructure; Innovation & Smart Mobility, focused on advanced manufacturing, logistics, and an emerging life sciences and biotech ecosystem; and Energy & Utility, centred on transition-aligned energy and industrial decarbonisation.

The SoA alignment process is a key part of MYCentre4IR's work to advance Malaysia's digital economy and industrial transition agenda, in line with the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MDEB), the National 4IR Policy (N4IRP), and the Johor Economic Transformation Plan (JETP). The next steps include SoA refinement, bilateral stakeholder engagement, and preparation for signatory onboarding and launch readiness.

The 4IR conversation is stronger when research and evidence are part of it.

Our 4IR WhatsApp communities bring together industry, policymakers, startups and academics in shared, sector-based discussions on Malaysia’s 4IR journey.

Members will gain access to ongoing policy and industry discussions, relevant insights on emerging technologies, and opportunities to connect with stakeholders shaping Malaysia’s digital, sustainable and technological landscape.

Researchers and academics are welcome to join, observe, and contribute where relevant.

https://chat.whatsapp.com/IuXfaAcmZuj51Ytc7RuefD