The leading global medical technology company Smith + Nephew, has chosen Penang to house its first manufacturing facility in Southeast Asia.
The company’s manufacturing network strategy vice-president Ross Macken said the company specialises in surgical implants and advance wound care products.
“We are in business for over 160 years. We were established in 1856 in Hull, England. We still have a significant manufacturing facility in Hull, today.
“We have grown considerably since then, with an annual turnover now approaching US$5 billion,” he told a press conference during the investment announcement ceremony in Komtar today.
Macken said the company was supported by some 16,000 employees worldwide. Smith + Nephew also has a presence in more than 100 countries.
“We have considered many locations around the world before we selected Malaysia, specifically Penang, for our new world-class facility.
“Firstly, there are many high-tech companies in Penang, including medical device companies.
“Secondly, we know there is a highly-skilled and motivated workforce here. We are confident that we can offer great opportunities to local employees as we develop our new facility.
“Finally, Malaysia is very attractive to us. It has a stable economy, an establish infrastructure and a long history of foreign direct investment (FDI); all things that we value highly,” he said.
Macken said the plant in Batu Kawan, Penang, would primarily supports Smith + Nephew’s orthopaedics franchise which has been growing strongly recently in the Asia Pacific region.
“The orthopaedics products include our hip and knee implant products.
“The new facility will provide our manufacturing network with the much-needed additional capacity to serve our growing sales; and to ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of our customers and their patients,” he said.
Macken said the construction of the plant would begin in early next year (2020).
“We expect the first shipment of our products before the end of 2022. We expect to create up to 800 jobs over the first five years; and that includes roles in manufacturing, engineering and supply chain.
“We plan to start our recruitment process next year,” he said.
Macken added that the facility in Batu Kawan would be around 250,000sq ft with the opportunity for future expansion.
Chief Minister Sdr Chow Kon Yeow said he was pleased with the new investment addition to the Batu Kawan Industrial Park; the industrial park that was developed by the Penang Development Corporation (PDC).
Sdr Chow said that Penang is poised to further enhance and expand its capability in medical technology and devices industry with the addition of Smith + Nephew.
“I would like to congratulate Smith + Nephew for this significant investment in Penang, Malaysia. We are proud to be your destination of choice for investment.”
Sdr Chow said the state recorded RM9.2 billion of total approved manufacturing investment in the first half of this year.
“I am very delighted to note that we will be recording this strategic investment from Smith + Nephew in the second half of this year,” he said.
Sdr Chow said the electrical and electronics (E&E) and semiconductor-related industries were the important pillars of the state’s export-driven economy for the past decades.
“However, the medical technology and devices industry is playing an increasingly important role in Penang over the past 10 years.
“Our well-connected industry ecosystem attracts high-quality medical technology and devices investments,” he said.
Sdr Chow added that the Penang government is committed to work with the Federal Government in attracting investments that are sustainable, as well as capital and technology-intensive.
“We would like to thank the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) for working closely with investPenang in attracting high value investments; and the Ministry of Finance for granting and extending tax incentives to the high-tech new and reinvestment projects,” he said.
Later, Sdr Chow witnessed the exchange of documents between Macken and PDC general manager Datuk Mohd Bazid Abd Kahar.
Article on Buletin Mutiara:
历史悠久，享誉全球的医疗科技公司–施乐辉（Smith + Nephew）,看好槟城的理想投资环境与亮丽前景，特在峇都加湾设立其东南亚首家制造厂。
槟州首席部长曹观友同志今午在记者会上宣布这项好消息。
他指出，这家总部位于英国的跨国公司，其医疗技术业务领先全球，他们到来设厂，为槟州经济注入强心针。该公司预计在未来五年内创造800个就业机会。
“新工厂将占地25万平方尺，未来有可能扩大规模。 预计于2020年初开始建厂，首批产品料2022年底之前交付。”
“2019年上半年，槟州录得全国最高的92亿令吉制造业投资总额，已经超过了我们2018年全年58亿令吉的制造业投资。”
“传统上，美国，欧洲国家，日本和新加坡是槟城的主要外国直接投资（FDI）贡献者。而在2019年上半年，流入槟城的外国直接投资主要来自半导体和电子制造服务的美国公司。今年下半年，我们迎来施乐辉投资，可见投资者已呈多样化。 ”
“电子和电气及与半导体相关行业，是过去数十年来槟州出口的重要支柱。不过，过去的十年中，医疗技术和设备行业迎头赶上，在槟城发挥着越来越重要的作用。 ”
首长表示，凭借50年的工业经验和强大的供应链，槟城的基础设施已能够满足高度管制的医疗技术和设备行业的严格要求。而紧密联系的行业生态系统也是槟城吸引高质量医疗技术和设备投资的主要竞争优势之一。随着施乐辉的加入，槟城可进一步增强和扩展在医疗技术和设备行业的能力。
“槟州政府致力于继续与联邦政府携手合作，以吸引可持续的投资以及资本和技术密集型投资。也要感谢大马投资局（MIDA）与投资槟城（InvestPenang）在吸引高价值投资方面紧密合作，并感谢财政部为高科技新投资和再投资项目提供和扩展税收优惠。”
罗斯麦肯：槟城投资环境佳
另一方面，施乐辉公司副主席罗斯麦肯说，他们选择在槟城投资，因为这里高科技公司林立，可见投资者对这里相当有信心，而且高科技人力资源也不缺，加上槟城在制造业领域已久负盛名，让他们放眼与本地人携手合作，一起推动经济发展。
施乐辉公司成立于1856年,他们在骨科关节重建、先进伤口管理、运动医学和创伤四大领域处于世界领先地位。该公司总部位于伦敦，全球拥有超过1万6000名员工，产品市场分布于全球100多个国家，2018年创下49亿美元营业额。
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