SHAH ALAM, Nov 10 — Selangor has once again taken a bold step onto the global stage by hosting a technology event, backed by renowned world trade fair Hannover Messe.
Dubbed the first of its kind to be organised by a state government, the upcoming Selangor Techsphere Summit will highlight global innovation and showcase the state’s efforts to become a leading centre for technological and talent development in Southeast Asia.
The idea for the summit was sparked during Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari’s visit to Hannover Messe in Germany in April last year, where he observed how the decades-old global event had evolved into a powerful platform for technological exchange.
Determined to recreate a similar ecosystem locally, he initiated the development of a homegrown version aligned with Selangor’s long-term industrial and human capital development goals.
Speaking to Media Selangor, Selangor Technical Skills Development Centre (STDC) chief executive officer Harizal Hamid shared the summit’s aims to advance Selangor’s economic and technological landscape.
He said the event’s main purpose is to prepare Selangor’s workforce for emerging technologies, especially in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and automation.
“In many industries, new technologies arrive faster than local talent can adapt. Through Techsphere, we want to strengthen local talent so Selangor can develop its own experts,” he said.
From Hannover to Kuala Lumpur
During his visit to Hannover Messe, Amirudin focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in technology and vocational education, including strategic discussions on promoting Selangor as a hub for technology investment.
The visit saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Selangor and prominent German tech companies such as Mendix and KNX to develop technical and vocational education and training (TVET) modules and professional certification programmes to boost training and innovation in the state.
Harizal said the global trade fair in Germany, which was established in 1947 and remains the gold standard for showcasing industrial innovation, inspired the development of the Selangor Techsphere Summit. The event has since been realised and marked a significant milestone as Hannover Messe typically grants licences to country-led efforts over state government initiatives.
He said the collaboration with Hannover Messe was a challenging process as it involved months of coordination among Malaysia, Germany, and the Asia-Pacific office in Australia.
“When the menteri besar visited Hannover, he envisioned bringing that same spirit of innovation and knowledge exchange to Selangor, (but) Techsphere is not a trade fair but a platform that highlights technological advancement, human capital development, and policy-driven collaboration,” he told Media Selangor in a recent interview.
Unlike other regional events such as Singapore’s Gitex Asia, which focus primarily on business-to-business trade, Harizal said the state-organised event’s approach is distinctly public driven.
“In Selangor, our focus is different. We are reflecting the aspirations and policies of the state government in technological transformation and talent development.”
Harizal added that the summit will comprise two main segments — a conference featuring discussions led by speakers from the Hannover Messe network, including European experts on Industry 4.0, and a public exhibition.
He said the conference segment of the event will also feature keynote sessions, technical tracks, and pre-arranged business-to-business (B2B) matching forums limited to 500 delegates, including C-suite and industry leaders.
“As a government-driven initiative, we must ensure the public can also benefit. That’s why we created a space for the community to engage with technology and innovation,” he said.
Fuelling a smarter digital economy
At the core of the summit is the Selangor Industrial Master Plan (SIMP), a blueprint to advance the state’s economic and technological landscape.
Harizal said the blueprint serves as the philosophical backbone for the summit’s themes, particularly its focus on digital ecosystems and smart manufacturing.
“Our event reflects the direction of Selangor’s master plan. It focuses on two main pillars, the digital ecosystem and smart manufacturing, in which both are essential to drive the state’s industrial growth in areas like AI, semiconductors, and advanced electronics,” he said.
Harizal added that the summit also aims to address a long-standing challenge of the talent gap between academia, industry, and government.
“One of the main issues in industry today is the lack of communication between the government, education institutions, and industrial players.
“Universities are producing graduates skilled in AI and coding, but the industry’s needs evolve faster than what’s being taught. Techsphere will help gather these groups on one platform,” he said.
Harizal said the event will showcase collaborations with local universities and research institutions to feature academic innovation alongside industrial application.
“We are inviting universities to share their research and innovations. Even if their participation is small, it’s symbolic of how Selangor is building a bridge between knowledge and industry,” he said.
Harizal also said the summit is not intended to be a one-off, but the start of a long-term initiative to position the state as Southeast Asia’s technology leader.
“The menteri besar’s vision for this summit is for it to serve as a permanent platform that gathers government, industry, and academia under one roof. It’s about creating one centre of gravity … When you decide to invest in Selangor, you will know where to start,” he said.
Scheduled for November 11 and 12, the Selangor Techsphere Summit will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
For details, visit the Selangor Techsphere Summit website.
