Johor forges strategic pact with Japanese tech firm to build Asean digital talent hub
ISKANDAR PUTER: The Johor government has taken a bold step to anchor itself as Asean's next digital powerhouse by sealing a strategic partnership with Japanese tech firm NEOJAPAN Inc today (June 19).
The MoU, inked between Invest Johor chief executive officer Natazha Harris and the Yokohama-based digital solutions provider president Akinori Saito, will pave the way for the Southeast Asian Centre of Excellence (SEA CoE) to be established in the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
Witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Japanese Economy Minister Yoji Muto and Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Noriyuki Shikata, the agreement was formalised on the sidelines of the Nikkei Forum Medini Johor 2025.
The SEA CoE will serve as a regional training and innovation hub, aiming to upskill more than 1,000 local tech talent in areas such as cloud infrastructure, multilingual IT support and no-code development.
The initiative is also set to generate 300 high-skilled jobs, boosting Johor's position as a tech-driven investment destination.
"This collaboration aligns perfectly with our goal of turning Johor into a regional hub for digital excellence," Onn Hafiz said.
"By fostering innovation, talent development and strategic investments, we believe the JS-SEZ can become a catalyst for Johor's digital economy."
NEOJAPAN, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, will contribute its expertise in cloud-based platforms and digital transformation tools, including desknet's NEO, AppSuite and NEOPORT.
The partnership signals deepening Malaysia-Japan economic ties and supports Malaysia's wider digitalisation push under the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry's regional strategies.
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