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Malaysia Poised To Be Key Player In Global Industrial Biotechnology

[ 05-06-2015 ]

KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is poised to become a key player in the global industrial biotechnology sector with the operation of the world's first integrated bio-methionine and thiochemicals facility worth RM2.1 billion.

Owned by Korea's CJ CheilJedang (CJ) and France's Arkema, the integrated manufacturing plant is located in Kertih Biopolymer Park (KBP), Terengganu.

With the operation of the CJ-Arkema manufacturing facility, Malaysia is now the world's first producer of green bio-methionine.

The plant exported its first batch of essential amino acids to Indonesia in January 2015.

Jointly promoted by the East Coast Economic Region Development Council and the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation, the manufacturing facility is the single largest investment in Malaysia's biotechnology sector todate.

In a joint statement today, they said the project had a potential total investment of RM3 billion over a period of 10 years.

In the longer term, the project is expected to generate a cumulative gross national income (GNI) of RM20.4 billion and create 2,500 green jobs for Malaysia by 2020.

This includes 474 workers to be employed by CJ and Arkema, out of which 60 per cent will consist of high-level technical and knowledge workers such as microbiologists, chemists, engineers and biotechnologists.

CJ is a world leader in industrial biotechnology with innovations in fermentation and purification, while Arkema, which owns the proprietary platform technology, is a global chemical company and leading specialty chemicals producer.

The plant in KBP is a platform for CJ, through its subsidiary CJ Bio Malaysia Sdn Bhd, to respond to the strong demand for methionine in Asia and China.

This project also has the potential to develop local expertise in niche areas such as chemical engineering and industrial biotechnology, and provide an opportunity for collaborations with local universities and research institutions to become centres of excellence in biotechnology.

-- BERNAMA