BAE Systems Continues to Support Malaysian SMEs

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 (Bernama) -- BAE Systems, the global defence, aerospace and security company, demonstrated its continued support to the Malaysian small and medium enterprise (SME) community at the SME Innovation Showcase (SMIDEX) 2012 held this week. The event, organised by SME Corporation Malaysia, showcased the capabilities and capacities of Malaysian SMEs in supplying products, technologies and services to the global market. BAE Systems’ focus at SMIDEX was on technology and innovation - demonstrating its broad capability across defence and beyond, the company said in a statement on Friday. BAE Systems’ participation at SMIDEX included engaging local SMEs and offering support to ongoing development initiatives by government agencies such as Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) and Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA). As part of its ongoing strategy to support businesses from the United Kingdom (UK) looking for opportunities in Malaysia, BAE Systems was joined at SMIDEX by a group of UK SMEs focused on engineering in aerospace and defence arena. Its Managing Director, South East Asia, John Brosnan said BAE Systems' track record in delivering value to Malaysia through partnership is a strong one. "Malaysia’s economy, spurred by leading local aerospace engineering companies such as CTRM (Composites Technology Research Malaysia) and SMEA (SME Aerospace Sdn Bhd), continues to benefit today from the technology and skills initiatives put in place in partnership with BAE Systems when Malaysia selected Hawk to meet its fighter training needs more than 15 years ago," he said. Brosnan said BAE Systems look forward to developing equally beneficial partnership programmes with Malaysian SMEs through its range of other world leading defence, aerospace and security capabilities such as the Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft, currently being considered to meet Malaysia’s requirement. -- BERNAMA