The programme aims to drive output in the areas of e-commerce, Fintech, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Smart Cities.

"There is a rise in demand for digital solutions and deep tech innovations so MDEC's GAIN programme partnership with Huawei for the Spark Programme is very timely. It will provide local tech companies with the opportunity to gain financial support, test their go-to-market strategies, and connect with mentors, among others," said Dato' Ng Wan Peng, Chief Operating Officer of MDEC.

"MDEC will continue to support and partner with programmes like Huawei Spark Malaysia as it fits with our efforts to forge digitally powered businesses that will help shape our digital tech ecosystem and reinforce Malaysia's goal to be the regional powerhouse for global tech champions," added Dato' Ng.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Rejab Sulaiman,  General Manager of Data Centre, Cloud and Internet, TM ONE, said, "In today's digital age, cloud is the backbone technology powering all other innovative technologies such as 5G, AI/Machine Learning & Analytics, IoT, and Edge Computing. As the cloud service provider via our α Edge platform, we are pleased to be partnering with Huawei and MDEC in this programme."

"It complements our recently announced collaboration with MDEC, in our joint efforts to further strengthen the digital readiness of Malaysia, including digitally empowering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), in support of TM's unique role as the enabler of Digital Malaysia. We look forward to more innovative solutions created through this initiative, and perhaps exploring the possibility of partnering with these companies in the future," said Mohamad Rejab.

CEO of Huawei Malaysia Mr Michael Yuan said as a global technology leader, it is Huawei's responsibility to assist local businesses in their efforts to digitalise and by doing so, help boost the local ecosystem. He said that collaborations like these are crucial for the success of these efforts.

"Through this collaboration, I believe we will be able to create a conducive space for businesses to grow, to build a healthy ecosystem where they can thrive, and together with their innovative solutions, drive digital transformation across the country to firmly position Malaysia as the Heart of Digital ASEAN.

"Innovation is borderless and when we collaborate, we flourish," said Mr Yuan.

Kick-starting the programme is a competition where companies can submit their pitches during the application period between November 12, 2020 and January 11, 2021, to be selected to join the programme.

The company ranked first in the competition will receive the top prize in the form of a participation in a six-month long Accelerator Programme which includes:

The companies ranked second and third will get to participate in a six-month long Accelerator Programme, which includes:

The other seven companies shortlisted will receive one year of incubation support between April 2021 and March 2022, which includes the following:

The Huawei Spark programme was first launched in 2020 by Huawei's Cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI) business group and in view of its beneficial value, it is now being brought for the first time to Malaysian shores.

Also present at the virtual launch today were Ryan Chan, Head of Business Development, Global Growth Acceleration System, MDEC, Leo Nuo Jiang, Chief Digital Officer, Huawei Cloud & AI, APAC, Nicholas Lim, Chief Technology Officer, Soft Space Sdn Bhd and New Jinn An, Co-founder of Hexa IoT Sdn Bhd.

For more information on the Huawei Spark programme, log on to: https://bit.ly/Huawei_Spark_MY

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains -- telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services -- we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. Huawei's end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions and services are both competitive and secure. Through open collaboration with ecosystem partners, we create lasting value for our customers, working to empower people, enrich home life, and inspire innovation in organizations of all shapes and sizes.

At Huawei, innovation focuses on customer needs. We invest heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. We have more than 188,000 employees by the end of 2018, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.

For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei 

http://www.twitter.com/Huawei 

http://www.facebook.com/Huawei

http://www.youtube.com/Huawei

About Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) 

Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is a government agency under the purview of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia entrusted to lead Malaysia's digital economy forward. Incorporated in 1996 to oversee the development of the MSC Malaysia initiative, MDEC's primary mandate today is to accelerate the growth of digitally-skilled Malaysians, digitally-powered businesses and digital investments in Malaysia. MDEC is focused on creating inclusive, high-quality growth through the nationwide digitalisation initiatives that are in line with the Government's Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 and firmly establishing Malaysia as the Heart of Digital ASEAN.

#LetsBuildTogether #DigitalMalaysiaForward

To find out more about MDEC's Digital Economy initiatives, please visit us at www.mdec.my or follow us on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyMDEC/

Twitter: @mymdec

About TM ONE

TM ONE, the enterprise and public sector business solutions arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) Group, is positioned as the ONLY ENABLER for businesses to realise their full potential of their digital opportunities. TM ONE enables our customers and / or partners' digital journey through our seamless vertical and horizontal solutions where it is brought together by our people, processes and state-of-the-art technology. TM ONE's effective digital solutions host a customised and dynamic use of product and services that are well suited for our enterprise and public sector customer's journey toward their digital transformation.

Together with our multinational team of experts across Malaysia and Indonesia, the depth and breadth of expert skillsets among TM ONE personnel sets us apart from the rest. TM ONE enable businesses with customised value-based innovative digital solutions which allows our customers to focus their core business. This is in line with TM's philosophy of "Life Made Easier", for a better Malaysia.

For further information on TM ONE, visit www.tmone.com.my