I-Bhd unveils RM10mil AI and Robotics rollout to future-proof i-City
KUALA LUMPUR: I-Bhd, the master developer of i-City in Shah Alam, has committed RM10 million to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics infrastructure across its portfolio of income-generating assets, with the initiative expected to be completed by 2028.
In line with its long-term digital strategy, the company is currently in discussions with leading global technology players including Unitree, DeepSeek, and Baidu to transform i-City into a scalable, AI-powered smart city.
The rollout will begin at Mercu Maybank, a 33-storey corporate tower serving as Maybank's alternate headquarters, and will extend to high-profile assets such as Wyndham Suites I-City, Wyndham Suites KLCC, Wyndham Garden, DoubleTree by Hilton i-City, Central-City Mall, the i-City theme park, car parks, a data centre, and residential components.
Director Datuk Eu Hong Chew said the investment is not a trend-driven move but part of a deliberate strategy to ensure long-term relevance and competitiveness for I-Bhd's business and assets.
"We're not just adding tech for the sake of it. This is about sustaining performance, unlocking value, and enabling intelligent systems to optimise asset efficiency and user experience," Eu said.
The initiative aligns with I-Bhd's "value extraction" strategy introduced in 2024 to maximise returns from i-City's RM10 billion gross development value (GDV). With over 50 per cent of completed GDV comprising income-generating properties, the company is now entering a new phase focused on performance optimisation and smart infrastructure.
Under its four-year technology roadmap, I-Bhd aims to embed AI and robotics into both operational systems and customer-facing services—ranging from predictive maintenance and energy management to visitor flow optimisation and robotics-assisted hospitality.
The company's proprietary i-City SuperApp will serve as the digital backbone of the ecosystem, integrating Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) features that will eventually be made available to tenants and residents to enhance their operations.
"When we launched i-City, we didn't set out to build just another property development. We set out to build Malaysia's first digital city. We set out to build a place where infrastructure, technology, and people come together to create lasting value.
"That's how we became the first to deploy fibre-to-home as a core utility and build a Tier-3 data centre. But that was just Phase 1.
"We kept the technology ecosystem dynamic and scalable for future enhancements. Today, as technology matures, we are ready and entering Phase 2, where intelligence is embedded into the ecosystem. This phase is where the city starts to think, learn, and adapt," Eu said.
AI will allow the company to manage buildings more intelligently through predictive maintenance, energy optimisation, and visitor flow management, while robotics will assist in service delivery, from concierge bots to logistics and cleaning, he said.
"AI and robots are expensive today, especially for individuals or small businesses. But with RM1 billion in assets, we have the scale to deploy and share this infrastructure. Over time, as the tech matures, we expect it to be accessible within corporate budgets," said Eu.
He added that I-Bhd is following the same playbook it used two decades ago, working with strategic partners to integrate advanced technology that enhances property value and maintains i-City's edge as Malaysia's leading tech city.
"When we started i-City, it wasn't just about building property. It was about building a digital city. Phase one was about infrastructure, fibre-to-home, and Tier-3 data centres. Now we're entering Phase Two, where the city begins to think, learn, and adapt," he said.
Chairman Tan Sri Lim Kim Hong echoed the sentiment, adding that AI and robotics represent the next frontier in delivering value across I-Bhd's ecosystem.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysian Reserve
18 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
A new world order is here. Is your portfolio ready?
Global shifts are challenging US market dominance, putting diversification back in play by IFAST RESEARCH TEAM OVER the period from 1994 to 2024, US equities have consistently outperformed their international counterparts. For many young investors, it's hard to recall a time when the US did not dominate global markets. As a result, global diversification has long been a losing strategy for most investors. Not this year. The 'Liberation Day' market crash sparked by Trump's tariffs has coincided with rallies in other global markets, including Europe and China. While the S&P 500 recovered most of the losses year-to-date, the MSCI AC World ex-US Index is up more over the same period. While periods of underperformance by the US are not unusual, the gap this year has been particularly pronounced. A New World Order is Taking Shape For decades, there has been no bigger winner on the global stage than the US market, with its stellar performance over the years leading to an approximate 63.7% weighting in the MSCI AC World Index (as of 30 April 2025), up from 43.3% back in 2011. And rightfully so. Investors were drawn to America's exceptionalism: Its technological dominance, deep and liquid financial markets, leadership in free trade, willingness to underwriting global security and a government historically seen as a wise steward of the economy. However, president Trump's erratic policies — including his on-again, off-again tariff announcements and escalating trade tensions with China — along with his transactional approach to diplomacy, suggest a significant shift in America's position on the world stage. This has prompted the rest of the world to diversify trade partners, forge new alliances and pursue long-delayed economic reforms to boost growth and economic resilience. The European Union (EU), for instance, has launched a charm offensive to diversify its trade alliances in Asia and beyond. The bloc has resumed long-stalled negotiations with several countries, including India, Malaysia and Thailand. The clearest sign of the EU's renewed urgency is its revived deal with The Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), a South American trade bloc that includes Brazil and Argentina. After 25 years of delay, an agreement was finally reached in December. While major European countries such as France and Poland remain opposed, Trump's tariffs could push them towards ratification. Austria, a staunch critic of the deal, has already abandoned its long-standing resistance to the trade agreement. Furthermore, with the US now stepping back from European security, the continent has significantly ramped up its defence spending. Even German lawmakers have voted to loosen the purse strings, allowing for a huge increase in defence and infrastructure investment — a seismic shift for a country traditionally known for its pacifism and fiscal restraint. The recently concluded UK-EU deal has also drawn a line under Brexit, signalling the start of a much closer relationship. Changes are Afoot in China Five years ago, regulators in China launched a sweeping crackdown on technology companies, casting a chill over the private sector. Now, the mood is shifting. Amid China's economic challenges, the government has recognised that revitalising the private sector is crucial to achieving an economy recovery — a task made even more urgent by Trump's tariff war. President Xi Jinping's handshake with Jack Ma — widely seen as the face of China's private sector but sidelined by authorities since the crackdown — at a symposium this year is the surest signal that the party wants the private sector to thrive again. China has also intensified its efforts to steer the economy toward a consumption-led growth model. A raft of stimulus measures, coupled with a revival in consumer and business confidence, is laying the groundwork for a sustained recovery. The government's strategic focus on artificial intelligence (AI) is also providing new momentum for tech leaders. Meanwhile, the recent revival of China's economic dialogues with Japan and South Korea — both of which have aligned more closely to the US in recent years — suggests that regional powers are reassessing their relationships in response to Trump's tariff-induced uncertainty. At the same time, the economic transformation in Japan continues, with inflation, wage increases and interest rate hikes all becoming entrenched. A virtuous cycle of rising wages and prices will stimulate consumption and capital expenditures, opening up a pathway for stronger economic growth in the longer term. Besides, Japan has shown that it can and will step up to provide international economic leadership. In the absence of the US, Japan has picked up the mantle of leadership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). As the US retreats from its traditional role as champion of free trade, Japan will likely step up to fill the void and provide trade leadership together with other open-market allies. As a new world order takes shape, the global economy likely to become more balanced, with Europe and Asia shouldering more responsibilities for driving growth and providing international leadership. Against this backdrop, diversification has taken on added importance in our portfolios. An Unprecedented Level of Uncertainty Persists Another reason for diversification: A great deal of uncertainty persists. Start with the tariffs. In just a matter of days, Trump's Liberation Day tariffs have injected the global economy with extraordinary levels of volatility and uncertainty. Trade decisions — along with a slew of other major policy decisions — are now made on Truth Social, often catching even his own advisors off guard. While the tariffs have since been paused, they have not been cancelled. The outcome of ongoing trade negotiations remains uncertain and there's a possibility that the punishingly high tariff rates could be reinstated once the deadline passes. The situation looks increasingly fragile. As if that weren't enough, the legal wrangling over the tariffs have added yet another layer of uncertainty. Most recently, a US trade court blocked the tariffs, ruling that Trump had overstepped his authority — only for them to be reinstated a day later, pending the appeal process. Trade talks will now be complicated by doubts over the administration's authority to follow through on its threats. Rather than offering relief, the development has introduced new complications at the worst possible time. Besides, even if trade deals are struck before the deadline, there's no guarantee they will hold. Given the unpredictable — and often arbitrary — nature of Trump's decision-making, he could very well renege on these deals. With no real clarity ahead, U.S. businesses are faced with an unprecedented level of uncertainty, which has been further compounded by other factors. Lower Market Correlations Help Enhance Diversification As a risk-mitigation strategy, diversification only reduces volatility if the markets involved have low or negative correlations. If all markets move in lockstep, it doesn't matter how many geographic regions you invest — diversification won't reduce risk. This has certainly been the case over the past two decades, as correlations between US and non-US stocks have risen significantly. In other words, most international markets have moved in tandem with the broader US market. To conclude, we're not suggesting an end to US exceptionalism. The US remains the largest and most liquid market in the world. It is also home to many high-quality companies that are dominant in the digital economy and semiconductor space. While it might be easy to boycott a company like Tesla Inc due to the availability of alternatives, it's much harder to avoid companies like Google LLC or Nvidia Corp. Therefore, maintaining exposure to the US remains important. However, for investors who already have a substantial US allocation, a global ex-US exchange-traded fund (ETF) can provide substantial diversification benefits. The views expressed are of the research team and do not necessarily reflect the stand of the newspaper's owners and editorial board. This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Chinese exports of rare-earth magnets plummet in May
BEIJING: Chinese exports of rare-earth magnets continued their downward slide in May, official data showed on Friday, reflecting restrictions imposed by Beijing during its trade war with the United States. China is the world's leading producer of rare earths, used to make magnets essential to the automotive, electronics and defence industries. Since April, Beijing has required traders to obtain licences before they export the strategic materials, a move seen as retaliation for US curbs on the import of Chinese goods. Many manufacturers, particularly in the automotive sector, have bewailed what they view as sporadic licence issuances. And Chinese customs data revealed Friday that the country's rare-earth magnet exports plummeted by 70 percent year-on-year in May, following an initial slowdown observed in April. Exports fell below the $60 million mark, hitting their lowest level since 2015 excluding the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Bloomberg News. After talks between China and the US in London this month, Beijing said it had issued a 'certain number' of export licences for rare earths. US President Donald Trump said last week on his Truth Social platform that 'any necessary rare earths... will be supplied, up front, by China'. Beijing also said it would launch a 'green channel' to facilitate rare earth exports to the European Union. But its exports of rare-earth magnets to the EU in May plunged by 81 percent year-on-year, according to the customs figures. And exports of small parcels to the US dropped by half compared to the previous month. Last month, Washington ended a tariff exemption previously enjoyed by low-value parcels shipped from China and Hong Kong. The measure dealt a severe blow to platforms shipping low-cost items from China, such as Shein and Temu. The decline was offset by a rise in China's total small parcel exports to the rest of the world, which were up 40 percent year-on-year, with particularly notable increases to Singapore, Russia, Europe and Australia. Besides the US, several countries have been trying to limit the rise of platforms sending cheap products made in China. This month, France adopted a bill that aims to curb fast fashion by banning advertising and imposing an additional tax on small parcels.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
EU bars China firms from major medical equipment deals
BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) yesterday banned Chinese firms from government medical device purchases worth more than €5 million (RM25 million) in retaliation for limits Beijing places on access to its own market. The latest salvo in trade tensions between the 27-nation bloc and China covers a wide range of healthcare supplies, from surgical masks to X-ray machines, that represent a market worth €150 billion in the EU. 'Our aim with these measures is to level the playing field for EU businesses,' the bloc's trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said. 'We remain committed to dialogue with China to resolve these issues.' In response, China accused the EU of 'double standards'. 'The EU has always boasted that it is the most open market in the world, but in reality, it has gradually moved towards protectionism', foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular press briefing. 'Under the guise of fair competition (the EU) actually carries out unfair competition, which is a typical case of double standards.' The European Commission said in a statement the move was in 'response to China's longstanding exclusion of EU-made medical devices from Chinese government contracts.' Brussels said just under 90% of public procurement contracts for medical devices in China 'were subject to exclusionary and discriminatory measures' against EU firms. In addition to barring Chinese firms from major state purchases, 'inputs from China for successful bids' would also be limited to 50%, it said. Over the last three years, Brussels and Beijing have come into conflict in a number of economic sectors, including electric cars, the rail industry, solar panels and wind turbines. The decision on medical devices comes at a time of heightened trade tensions with President Donald Trump, which has imposed customs surcharges on imports from all over the world, including Europe. The EU has decided to take a tougher stance on trade in recent years, adopting a vast arsenal of legislation to better defend its businesses against unfair competition. In April 2024, the commission opened an investigation into Chinese public contracts for medical devices, the first under a new mechanism introduced by the EU in 2022 to obtain better access to overseas state purchases. China, on the other hand, accuses Europe of protectionism. After a year of negotiations, the commission, which manages trade policy on behalf of the 27 member states, said it had failed to make any progress with China. 'The measure seeks to incentivise China to cease its discrimination against EU firms and EU-made medical devices and treat EU companies with the same openness as the EU does with Chinese firms and products,' Brussels said. – AFP
