Cyberjaya, Destination of Choice for the Tech Community AF2 THEEDGE MALAYSIA | MAY 15, 2017 CYBERJAYA, a GAME CHANGER
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ADVERTISING FEATURE MAY 15, 2017 A GAME CHANGER Cyberjaya, destination of choice for the tech community AF2 THEEDGE MALAYSIA | MAY 15, 2017 CYBERJAYA, A GAME CHANGER A sandbox for innovation yberjaya’s stakeholders are leading the way in global market. The city will always be a work in progress Ashran Datuk Ghazi the creation of a thriving, sustainable cyber city as technology continues to evolve. We will continue to CEO, Malaysian Global Innovation & Crea- backed by an innovation and creative hub. Here, build on existing partnerships and develop strategic tivity Centre (MaGIC) they talk about Cyberjaya’s transformation into collaborations with industry partners and technology a global technology hub and its holistic and leaders to stay ahead of the curve. Entrepreneurship increasingly relies on a comprehensive tech ecosystem, which nur- I hope to see Cyberjaya strengthening its position convergence between innovation and technol- Ctures start-ups with fresh ideas and supports established as a platform for entrepreneurs to access the regional ogy. How does a tech-based ecosystem such as companies that are expanding their operations. They also market. Malaysia has successfully positioned itself as the Cyberjaya nurture talent that can leverage this paint their vision for Cyberjaya and the role that this city gateway to Asean. There is no reason why all our cities, convergence? plays in contributing towards the country’s aspirations. including Cyberjaya, cannot leverage this to benefi t the Cyberjaya is Malaysia’s entrepreneurial hub, a test bed for country and its citizens. innovative ideas and a supportive environment helping to Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah drive ecosystem development for entrepreneurs and start- Chairman, Cyberview Sdn Bhd Datuk Faris Yahaya ups. Our ecosystem thrives on the spirit of collaboration Managing Director, Cyberview Sdn Bhd to help entrepreneurs transform their ideas into reality. Can you comment on the role and importance Together with our peers, we nurture talent by hosting of technology-based ecosystems such as Cyber- As the steward of Cyberview Sdn Bhd, the tech workshops and boot camps that help build skills and ca- jaya in Malaysia’s Transformasi Nasional 2050 hub enabler, how far do you think the city has pabilities. We run incubators and other programmes that (TN50) vision of being among the top 20 nations come in achieving its goal of building a tech- equip entrepreneurs with the right tools to grow their in economic development, social advancement based ecosystem? business. We also enable access to a network of mentors and innovation? This year marks Cyberjaya’s 20th anniversary. The town- and industry experts to provide valuable, real-world ex- Malaysia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has gone from ship has come a very long way from its early days as a perience and insights. working in silos to a more engaged, interconnected net- Cyberjaya is greenfi eld development. In 2013, Cyberview received For example, at the 4th Living Lab Accelerator Pro- work. However, there is much room for improvement if essentially a a mandate to transform it into a global technology gramme, which started last November, selected start-ups entrepreneurs are to play a major role in building the launch pad for hub. To do this, we have identifi ed two pillars — the look at developing tech and smart city solutions. country to be among the top 20 competitive nations glob- Malaysia’s fi nest creation of Cyberjaya as a smart city and as a living Start-ups are also given the opportunity to pilot and ally by 2050 as envisioned in the TN50 roadmap. lab for smart city solutions. This is the canvas for the validate their ideas in Cyberjaya through its Living Lab We need a way to bring all the parties together. This is tech innovation to next phase of its urban transformation, specifi cally Programme. All of us have continuous conversations with like a one-stop centre, where they can engage in whatever enter the global for the tech ecosystem, which is a critical component entrepreneurs to understand the challenges they face and areas that their businesses are dealing with. This is where market. Th e city of a smart city. we brainstorm ways to help them succeed. the initiatives, programmes and facilities in tech-based will always be a By off ering Cyberjaya as a living lab for the Internet ecosystems like Cyberjaya come into play. work-in-progress of Things (IoT), Cyberview has been able to bring in and Fledgling industries such as fi ntech and IoT pilot technologies that have enriched the smart city eco- currently dominate the technology industry. How does Cyberjaya stand out from other com- as technology system while off ering sustainable living solutions for its How can Cyberjaya support innovation in these peting Malaysian and regional cities that aspire continues to residents and businesses based in Cyberjaya. industries as well as other emerging fi elds in to become global technology hubs? What are evolve. We will tech entrepreneurship? Cyberjaya’s unique selling points? continue to What does collaborative innovation mean Cyberjaya is a testing ground for innovation and a breed- As a smart city and a living lab for innovations, Cyberjaya build on existing to Cyberjaya and why do you believe this is ing ground for new ideas. It welcomes people from all is the perfect testing ground for start-ups to prove the important to technology businesses and start- over Malaysia and the rest of the world to come and viability of their products and services and attract the partnerships and ups? turn their ideas into successful, sustainable businesses. attention of potential investors. In some cases, investors develop strategic The transformation of Cyberjaya will take time. But tech- It also brings members of the ecosystem and corporates are keen but they do not know where to start. We allow collaborations nology moves at the speed of light and work that needs or other external players together to innovate and create them to be a part of the early stages of testing and funding. with industry to be executed must be done very quickly. This is only value. An example of value creation is the tri-party agree- Eventually, as the start-up grows, they can venture partners and possible when we work with others. ment signed last year between MaGIC, MasterCard and into the business at a lower cost. Cyberjaya has the in- In the past several years, we have sourced globally Cyberview. The partnership is in support of Cyberjaya’s frastructure and incentives, which enables us to match technology for technology partners to lay the foundations for a continued evolution into a smart city, and sets a bench- companies with start-ups. leaders to stay smart city ecosystem and we constantly engaged our mark for the rest of the country to follow. This partnership ahead of the stakeholders and community. This clearly provided will work to embed digital payments in the ecosystem Cyberjaya looks to be the ‘capital of creation’ curve. us the edge as we can off er this collaborative spirit to for an enhanced customer experience. It includes digital for tech companies and start-ups. Can you de- > Tan Sri Irwan anyone who wants to come into Cyberjaya and be part solutions such as MasterPass. scribe how this ecosystem sustains tech-based of its transformation. entrepreneurial activity? For example, an initiative that we spearheaded, the City Ahmad Khalif Mustapha Kamal Start-ups that graduate from Cyberview’s Living Lab Innovation Council, brings together key stakeholders in Executive Chairman Accelerator Programme have gone on to achieve great an eff ort to design and implement sustainable initiatives Setia Haruman Sdn Bhd things. For example, TheLorry.com was recognised by and programmes that support the pillars of our roadmap. Forbes in its “30 under 30 Asia” list, which features young We also engaged with VADS Lyfe, Atilze Digital, Mas- How does Setia Haruman ensure that devel- innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who are challeng- terCard and Finnext Capital to develop our smart city opments in Cyberjaya are able to cater for the ing conventions and making an impact. infrastructure. Besides strengthening our smart city, fast-changing needs and wants of society in We are continuing to extend Cyberjaya’s existing such collaboration enables new technologies to be tested line with the changes in technology (which af- foundation. Its current tech ecosystem consists of talent before commercialisation. fect both entrepreneurship and the way people of more than 40,000 knowledge workers; facilities that live)? encourage innovation such as CoInnov8, a co-working Can you describe Cyberjaya’s value proposition, As Cyberjaya’s city developer, our vision is to be a builder space; and programmes such as Cyberview Living to the country and the economy, as a smart city of cities that shape future communities. This is through Lab Talent, Accelerator, Pilot and Enterprise. Future and living lab? the creation of inspiring tech-enabled spaces that enrich projects include CoCre8, a collaboration centre, As outlined in the TN50 roadmap, Cyberjaya looks to help the quality of life for the community. We are constantly and an ‘entrepreneur village’. local entrepreneurs and those seeking to expand their collaborating with local and international partners to Cyberview and MaGIC are also collaborating existing market to complement the country’s econom- with foreign design labs to establish design labs ic structure. By off ering the city as a testing ground and in Cyberjaya. This will enable youths and univer- living lab for small and medium enterprises, we not sity graduates to be trainned in design thinking only enable the creation of new innovations but and other skills. also provide a platform for commercialisation and proliferation to the broader market.