KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — Malaysia will develop the National Robotics Roadmap (NRR) in an effort to lift robotics technology into mainstream usage to boost national productivity, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the roadmap could help to reduce dependence on foreign manpower and minimise the outflow of foreign exchange.

Under the plan, the government is targeting to increase the intensity of robot usage from 55 units per 10,000 workers in 2019 to 195 units per 10,000 workers by 2030, he said in a statement here today.

Ismail Sabri said the proposed roadmap was among the decisions reached at a meeting of the National Digital Economy and Fourth Industrial Revolution Council, which was its first for this year.

The meeting, attended virtually by the relevant ministers and heads of departments and agencies, also endorsed the Catalytic Projects concept to drive the MyDIGITAL Aspiration.

Towards this end, the prime minister said, the meeting agreed to set up the MyDIGITAL Catalytic Projects Task Force to select suitable projects and monitor their implementation via the public-private partnership model.

He said the Catalytic Projects would be financed by the private sector and the government would play the role of a facilitator.

He said the projects to be implemented under this concept include smart medicine targeting the setting up of hospitals using 5G technology and Smart City.

Ismail Sabri said the meeting was also briefed on the progress of the National Digital Network Plan (Jendela), where from September 2020 to December 2021 a total of 1.89 million new premises came under fibre optics coverage and 1,189 new 4G towers were built.

During the same period, 95 per cent of populated areas were given 4G coverage, he said. — Bernama

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/02/17/pm-malaysia-to-develop-national-robotics-roadmap/2042261