U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced it will provide grant funding for technical assistance that will transform how Malaysia’s fast-growing Iskandar Malaysia region manages its urban planning and development through advanced data analytics.
“USTDA’s targeted investments will help Iskandar Malaysia collect, manage and disseminate data that will facilitate urban planning and policy making,” said Thomas R. Hardy, USTDA’s Acting Director. “U.S. companies possess the most innovative and cutting-edge solutions in this policy space and are eager to partner with Iskandar Malaysia to achieve its ambitious smart city goals.”
Specifically, USTDA’s grant to the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) will develop implementation plans for the Iskandar Malaysia Urban Observatory (IMUO) project, a top smart cities priority for Malaysia. Iskandar Malaysia is an economic region with a holistic development agenda covering economy, social and environment. It is located within the State of Johor in Southern Malaysia and encompasses more than 2.0 million people across five cities. Through this collaboration and the use of smart technologies, as well as advanced regional data analytics, USTDA foresees Iskandar Malaysia becoming a premier sustainable and inclusive “smart region.”
“IMUO collates and analyses data into information that can assist the government, businesses and people make timely and informed decisions. This smart people-technology partnership is becoming more important as we try to understand, plan and adapt to the fast changing and challenging local and global environment which is also embracing an ever innovative and progressive online economy. We are pleased to have received the trust, acknowledgement and support, from USTDA in this big data initiative that will definitely benefit the many parties within and around the region,” said Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Chief Executive of IRDA.
U.S. businesses interested in submitting proposals for the USTDA-funded technical assistance should visit the USTDA website at https://www.ustda.gov/business-opportunities. IRDA also welcomes any parties who are interested to jointly work on their Smart City initiatives at www.iskandarmalaysia.com.my/SCIM. This collaboration between IRDA and USTDA is part of the Asian Smart City Network (ASCN) initiative.
