Works to construct Malaysia’s first flying car is 85 per cent complete, the Entrepreneur Development Minister reportedly told the press recently.
The prototype of the flying car, according to him, is currently being built by a Malaysian company in Japan, as the economic powerhouse has the supporting ecosystem for the flying car industry.
In September the Minister will visit Japan for the Aviation Conference. He hopes to get to see the almost complete (flying) car which will be brought back towards the end of the year.
The ministry is currently in discussions with various ministries involved in the aviation sector to create available space for flying cars in Malaysia, similar to efforts undertaken in several other countries, to complement skills of the local entrepreneurs to develop a flying car.
While the flying car is a private initiative, the Government is working to create the flying car industry in Malaysia.
On whether the country’s first flying car would be launched by year-end, the Minister stated that it would depend on Malaysia’s ecosystem for flying cars, especially in term of availability to fly at that time.
In an earlier report by OpenGov Asia, members of the press and public, in attendance at the February 2019 Growth Malaysia event were told that the prototype is ready and that it was up to the private sector whether they want to use it.
The development of the flying car is the new government’s initiative to promote the use of high technologies in the private sector to boost productivity. The car can be used in sectors such as agriculture and aerospace, among others.
Upon the launch of the Growth Malaysia initiative, the Minister noted that the prototype would cost slightly over RM1 million to build. Through the flying car project, the Government aims to create an environment that stimulates people to think about new technologies.
This is in line with the ministry’s mission to widen and coordinate entrepreneurial activities, to be more targeted. The platform’s founder said that the Growth Malaysia initiative aims to help 100,000 restaurants across Malaysia to grow digitally by 2020.
A part of Malaysia’s National Policy on Industry 4.0 effort is to push for new and innovative technologies.
According to the Policy, the development and adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies and processes may require substantial investments by manufacturing firms. Questions will arise on what incentives and funding options are available by both Government agencies and private entities, especially for SMEs.
The funding strategies are aimed at encouraging companies to adopt new manufacturing technologies and processes and invest in R&D, specifically to develop local solutions targeted at Malaysia’s needs and priorities.
Special attention will be given to collaborative efforts in developing and deploying Industry 4.0 technologies (for example, flying cars).
To ensure progress and impact, the incentives will be linked to specific outcomes. These strategies are applicable to both manufacturing firms as the users and adopters, and to service providers of Industry 4.0 technologies and solutions.
The Policy also noted that understanding of and access to advanced, cost-effective and interoperable Industry 4.0 technologies are at the core of unlocking the potential of Industry 4.0.
The experiences from other countries demonstrate the importance of digital/technology labs and collaborative platforms, especially public-private partnerships (PPPs), in disseminating Industry 4.0 technologies and transferring knowledge.
