Leading the first flight of change at Iskandar Puteri with DRZ Iskandar

Iskandar Investment Berhad launched the first Drone and Robotic Zone in Southeast Asia in line with its ISKANDAR NEXT initiative. The initiative serves as a public-private partnership programme with the Johor state government to bolster the state’s digital economy agenda.

The Drone and Robotics Zone (DRZ) Iskandar is situated at Iskandar Puteri, the largest urban integrated development in South East Asia, comprising 24,000 acres of signature catalytic developments aligned with identified sectors and industries in the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Formerly known as Nusajaya, Iskandar Puteri was launched in 2007 as one of the five flagship zones of Iskandar Malaysia — the country’s foremost emerging economic zone. Iskandar Puteri's location, connectivity, and proximity to Singapore are impetuses for its surging economic growth.

DRZ Iskandar’s drones, robotics and autonomous vehicle test sites will be accessible to partners for the development of their products, to conduct demonstrations, training and certification purposes.

With its sights set on becoming a frontier of the Regional and Global Business Hub in Johor, DRZ Iskandar is the growth engine, technology leader and talent hub for Malaysia and Asia Pacific.

The establishment of the zone is expected to rake in investments to the tune of RM350 million and create over 1,000 new job opportunities in the drone and robotics industry by 2025.

Exploration of the use of drones in fields such as agriculture, security, logistics and many others has stimulated the country’s diverse economic sector. The initiative has helped various stakeholders to realise the importance of embracing digital technology to elevate commercial capabilities and put Malaysia on the map in terms of drone and robotics capabilities.

It is poised to inspire local talents to upskill themselves and make gains in the technology value chain, thus creating greater socio-economical impact that will empower future generations.