Turkish ICT & Defence Firms Looking For Alliances In Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 (Bernama) -- More than 20 top high-technology companies from two technocities in Turkey with expertise in the defence and information and communications technology (ICT) clusters are seeking out potential business partners here on May 10 and 11. These hardware and software companies from the Bilkent Cyberpark and ODTU Teknokent will be part of a delegation led by Turkey's Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, Galip Zerey, and accompanied by the Chairman of Information and Communication Technologies Authority, Omer Fatih Sayan. The trip is being coordinated by the Office of the Commercial Counsellor of the Turkish embassy here. Companies from these technocities have conducted research analyses and found that Malaysian agencies and companies can benefit from their expertise in cyber security, data applications, e-government solutions, inter-mechanical communication solutions and defence industry solutions. The delegation is expected to meet key Malaysian agencies and organisations such as Malaysian Investment Development Authority, Malaysia Digital Economy Corp, Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry and The National ICT Association of Malaysia. In conjunction with the visit, the Malaysian Global Business Forum (MBGF) will hold business-matching programmes on both days. MBGF Managing Director, Nordin Abdullah, said the programme would allow the Turkish companies to know the needs of prospective Malaysian business partners better. Malaysia and Turkey signed a free trade agreement last year to eliminate or bind duties on 70 per cent of the tariff lines. The annual two-way trade between the two countries is estimated at US$1 billion (US$1 = RM3.89). Bilkent Cyberpark is one of the first and pioneer technoparks in Turkey. As of today, there are 220 high-tech companies operating from the park, most of which are in ICT. As a leading technopark and incubator in Turkey, it runs a wide range of programmes to help in the internationalisation process of Turkish research and development (R&D) companies. ODTU Teknokent, being the first and the most innovative technopark in Turkey, provides contemporary infrastructure and superstructure to researchers and companies that develop and produce technologies to elevate the international competitiveness of Turkey. It has 320 tenant companies employing over 5,000 personnel, 90 per cent of whom are skilled knowledge workers with qualifications leading up to doctor of philosophy degree. It also has a closed area of 120,000 sq metres dedicated for R&D operations. -- BERNAMA