K-One Embarks on Ventilator Production, The First in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, 8 September 2021 – K-One MediTech Sdn Bhd (K-One MediTech), a wholly-owned subsidiary of K-One Technology Bhd (K-One), is set to develop and manufacture the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA-JPL) licensed ventilators in Malaysia, in a bold determination to meet increasing demands and the changing global landscape of medical devices industry. The company’s research and manufacturing of enhanced models of ventilators will cater to a wider scope of applications for acute respiratory diseases, with add-on smart features such as Internet of Things (IoT), as well as value-add attributes to technological developments of medical devices industry.
Having secured the license to manufacture ventilators developed by NASA-JPL, K-One MediTech has also been awarded a matching grant by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA). With MIDA’s facilitation, K-One plans for future development and manufacture of ventilators, perhaps under its own brand. The grant will also support to obtain international markings, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European CE approvals in meeting the American and European standards, which reflects as the gold standard certifications.
Mr. Arham Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of MIDA expressed, “K-One’s achievement in being the only Malaysian company licensed to produce NASA-JPL’s ventilators, represents a huge leap of the local technological capability towards the production of more complex and high technology medical devices to meet the global demands. Given the escalating demands for ventilators worldwide in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, it is certainly an admirable feat for the company to commit and produce affordable ventilators, making them more accessible, in the fight against Covid-19. With the growing presence of MNCs in Malaysia, domestic manufacturers in the medical device supply chain are also being recognised globally”.
Dato’ Martin Lim Soon Seng, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of K-One, acknowledged, “We are honoured to be selected and awarded the grant in this challenging recovery period. We believe that the demand for ventilators is always there, even though the Covid-19 pandemic has boosted its requirements.”
He added that the Government support will catalyse and accelerate K-One’s efforts in achieving its aspirations to produce a novel Made in Malaysia ventilator of international standards. The Government’s strong backing will not only nurture the local companies to develop indigenous technology, but also facilitate in uplifting local talents, enhancing supply chain competencies and foreign exchange earnings via export growth.
K-One MediTech expects to benefit commercially from the enhanced ventilators production, while contributing to the domestic and global supply chains. The country should also aim to be self-reliant in ventilator supply through domestic production capacity, crucial in times of crisis. The development and manufacturing processes may also nurture specialised local technical expertise through collaborations with local universities and/or university hospitals, including trainings on specific medical protocols by medical device specialists.
The Government’s continuous commitment to attract high technology investment is reflected through a significant growth of the Malaysia’s medical devices industry over the last few years. In 2020, the industry has contributed a total of RM6.1 billion worth of investments through 51 projects approved by MIDA. Today, Malaysia comprises over 200 manufacturers producing a broad range of products and equipment for medical, surgical, dental, optical and general health purposes. This has certainly made Malaysia an ideal investment destination, particularly as an outsourcing destination and a medical device manufacturing hub in ASEAN.
*****
About MIDA
MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.
About K-One
K-One Technology Bhd, with subsidiary, K-One MediTech Sdn Bhd and other subsidiaries (jointly referred to as K-One), is a technology solutions provider driven by electronic manufacturing services (EMS) with focus on healthcare, own brand medical devices and cloud computing solutions.
Media contacts:
MIDA:
Manjit Kaur Balkar Singh (Ms)
Email: [email protected] | Tel.: +603 2267 3509
K-One:
Choi Keng Mun
Email: [email protected] | Tel.: + 603 7728 1111
