KUALA LUMPUR: Smart cities companies from the United Kingdom (UK) and Malaysia are forming strategic partnerships to provide smart cities solutions for the Malaysian and global markets.
One such partnership is by Interactive Coventry Ltd and Metrobinaya Sdn Bhd with key stakeholders Majlis Bandaraya Seberang Perai and SME Corp Malaysia.
Interactive Coventry deploys bespoke, artificial intelligence (AI) technology to reduce the complexity and overhead cost for processing extremely large data, while collaboratively future proof the technology in the partner's metaverse.
This approach will enable urbanisation during climate change while emphasising a win-win solution for all parties.
The partnership will also deliver a revolutionary smart cities solution for forecasting and managing flash urban flooding in Malaysia.
The partnership was announced today, in conjunction with the virtual UK smart cities mission to Malaysia.
Consisting of 40 leading UK companies, this was the first UK smart cities delegation ever to visit Malaysia virtually.
Concluding earlier today, the mission was organised by the British High Commission here and the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) in collaboration with several key Malaysian ministries.
The primary aim is to strengthen collaborations between both countries to drive smart cities growth in housing and local government, communications and multimedia as well as sustainable transportation.
The three-day mission comprised 40 UK smart cities technology providers, offering a range of solutions from smart economy to smart lving, smart environment, smart people, smart government, smart mobility, and smart digital infrastructure.
A range of well-attended sessions showcased the latest UK smart city technologies and the successful implementation of smart cities solutions in cities across the UK.
Three Malaysian ministers delivered keynote remarks on separate days.
Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican highlighted the ministry's agenda to promote "Liveable Malaysia" in line with the 12th Malaysia Plan.
"Liveable Malaysia emphasises on ensuring that the rakyat's wellbeing is safeguarded and defended within the purview of our ministry."
Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said smart cities had been identified as a focus area in the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint, with an initiative in place to introduce an enhanced mechanism to accelerate its rollout.
"The aim is to enhance partnerships between cities, industries and technology partners in the development of smart cities," he added.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong shared his vision that smart cities would require transport as an integral element under the initiative.
"In line with the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) concept, the public would be able to optimise their travel using real time journey planner that integrates all transport modes.
"There is also a need for land public transportation systems to adopt and embrace the key components of the 4th Industrial Revolution (IR.40) namely AI, automation, internet of things, big data analytic, and cloud computing to achieve high efficiency and quality of services, homogeneities of services, and robust safety standards," he added.
British High Commissioner to Malaysia Charles Hay is confident of the UK smart cities offering and the potential for more partnerships.
"Smart cities development and technology is a new growth area in UK-Malaysia bilateral trade.
"The UK offers world-class expertise and technology in smart cities development. Through the Virtual UK Smart Cities Mission, we want to turn the enthusiasm from governments and businesses into real opportunities for both countries to collaborate in smart cities development," he added.
Several other prominent UK figures also gave welcome remarks, including Richard Graham, the UK Prime Minister's trade envoy to Malaysia, and Natalie Black, its trade commissioner for Asia Pacific.
Recently, the UK's West Midlands Combined Authority and the Iskandar Regional Development Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding to share knowledge, ideas, and lessons learned from within the urban and transport planning realms.
This was another example of how the UK and Malaysia can collaborate and take the relationship forward in the smart cities era.
Through the Global Future Cities Programme, the UK is also supporting Iskandar Malaysia and Melaka to develop smart and sustainable mobility systems.
The virtual mission was attended by more than 600 participants representing the government and private sectors from both Malaysia and the UK.