Insulet Corporation, a global pioneer in tubeless insulin pump technology, plans to open an insulin management centre in Johor on the 2nd of June 2022, with a “significant” investment, according to Senior Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
According to Azmin, the initial phase of the investment is projected to produce 500 high-quality jobs for locals.
“The success of this investment is not just on capital investment, but also to help build the supply chain ecosystem for our small and medium enterprises (SMEs),” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Ismail Sabri arrived here on Tuesday for a four-day business visit, which includes meetings with US President Joe Biden and ASEAN leaders. Azmin has been on a 10-day Trade and Investment Mission (TIM) in the US in early May.
Insulet has a long-term investment plan in Malaysia, according to Azmin, since it sees Malaysia as a medical device manufacturing hub where it can meet demand not just from Malaysia, but also from the region and other export markets.
He promised a “big announcement” by early June to coincide with the opening of the new plant in Johor.
Insulet is a cutting-edge medical technology firm that makes the Omnipod, an automated insulin delivery system for diabetic patients.
Azmin is said to have met with Insulet’s Chief Operating Officer, Charles Alpuche.
Insulet chose Malaysia because of its great talent pool and accessibility to ports to support its supply chain, according to Azmin on Twitter.
“Insulet has expressed its keen interest in developing the local ecosystem and further advancing knowledge transfer programmes through collaborative partnerships with universities and other industry stakeholders to upskill and reskill local talent.
“I expressed to Insulet that Malaysia is highly appreciative of this opportunity and looks forward to growing together with them,” he tweeted.
Insulet’s investment, according to his tweets, will provide vast opportunities for Malaysia, particularly in terms of generating demand for local parts and components used by medical device manufacturers.
“As a matter of fact, Alpuche informed me that Omnipod consists of 72 components, and they will outsource some of the components to local vendors in Malaysia.
“This will indeed open doors to bountiful possibilities for our local vendors to be integrated into the global supply chain of this industry,” according to his tweets.
Azmin also revealed that he had met with Boston Scientific Corporation, a leader in the medical devices industry, in a separate tweet.
“Since making its presence in Malaysia in 2015, Boston Scientific has continued to expand, powering the local medical industry through strategic collaborations of local vendor development efforts and capacity building programmes.
“With health gaining increasing prominence in the post-pandemic world, its presence in Malaysia will continue to positively impact the development of our medical devices industry, adding further value to the ecosystem,” he tweeted.
