"Are innovation hubs built, or do they evolve out of necessity? That's the question facing Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim, president and CEO of Johor Corporation (or JCorp), the principal development institution for the Malaysian state of Johor. The area is home to a new special economic zone along the border with neighboring Singapore, hoping to tap the city-state's capital, talent and international connections to spur new investments in Malaysia."
""We are mindful of the fact that the critical building blocks in an innovation ecosystem are not really there in Johor," Syed Mohamed explained during the Fortune Innovation Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday. "But in Singapore, there are." Citing successful case studies like Barcelona, Shenzhen, and Silicon Valley, he identified three factors that could lay the groundwork for a successful innovation hub: Physical infrastructure, an open digital infrastructure, and institutional framework, like public-private partnerships and a regulatory sandbox."
Johor Corporation (JCorp) is pursuing a large-scale innovation and economic development effort centered on the Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC) within the Johor‑Singapore Special Economic Zone. IBTEC covers almost 7,300 acres and carries a gross development value of 27 billion ringgit (about $6.5 billion). JCorp sees Johor offering land and scale while Singapore provides capital, talent and speed. Critical enablers identified for a successful hub include physical infrastructure, open digital infrastructure, and institutional frameworks such as public‑private partnerships and regulatory sandboxes. JCorp intends IBTEC to attract researchers, global firms and universities over the coming years.
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