DHL is to establish a Global Center of Excellence in Iskandar Malaysia to provide supply chain consultancy services and support businesses to design logistics solutions specific to some of Iskandar’s key industries such as automotive, energy, engineering and manufacturing, life sciences & healthcare, and technology.
“We want to create an ecosystem within Iskandar Malaysia and to establish a single network that is conducive to all companies to explore and set up business in the region as their gateway to markets around the world,” said Philip Chu [second from right in photo], managing director of the Global Center of Excellence Iskandar Malaysia. “Coupled with DHL’s sector-specific experience, it will underpin the bespoke logistics solutions that the GCOE will offer to the local industry.”
The GCOE, which will be operational in the second quarter of 2018, is being set up in conjunction with Iskandar Innovations Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Iskandar Investment Berhad. The GCOE will serve to connect companies with key stakeholders within Iskandar Malaysia and support their vision to be the hub for Asian and global markets. The centre will also connect the region to the world’s major economies and power the region’s logistics ambitions with networking sessions and workshops where companies and industry experts come together to share best practices and brainstorm innovative ideas.
“A strong base of logistics solutions and talent will not only allow the Iskandar region to achieve its ambitions of becoming an ASEAN supply chain hub, but also provide vital trade connectivity between its core industries and overseas markets where opportunities are aplenty,” said Khairil Anwar Ahmad [second from left in photo], president and CEO of Iskandar Investment Berhad. “As Iskandar’s population and foreign investment levels continue to rise steadily, the GCOE will play a strategic role in creating the job opportunities and export growth that underpin the region’s economic plans for the future.”
Alfred Goh [left in photo], president of global fast-growing enterprise and regional head of customer solutions and innovation in Asia Pacific at DHL, said that the establishment of the GCOE will bring Iskandar’s supply chain capabilities up to speed with those of other logistics hubs in the region.
“As Malaysia’s broader economy grows in domestic demand and overseas exports alike, Iskandar’s manufacturing and production industries will need increasingly efficient, flexible and scalable supply chains to power future economic development,” he said. “By complementing pure logistics skills and solutions with broader business development, market insights, and networking with key decision-makers around the world, we believe the GCOE will help Iskandar align its logistics investments with global demand and market forces more closely than ever before.”
A similar Supply Chain Center of Excellence was established in Singapore in 2007, delivering multi-million-dollar returns within its first 36 months of operation, according to DHL.
