IGEM 2017 To Power Green Cities

“The 8th International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia, IGEM 2017, themed Powering Green Cities, will attract 25,000 trade visitors from over 20 countries and aims to generate RM1.6 billion in business leads,” said Dato’ Seri SK Devamany, Acting Deputy Minister, Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA).

Organised by KeTTHA and co-organised by Malaysian Green Technology Corporation (GreenTech Malaysia), the region’s go-to green technology platform will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 11th to 13th October and will feature 320 exhibitor booths.

Commenting on IGEM 2017, SK Devamany said, “As urban populations continue to rise, it is becoming increasingly important to create sustainable living spaces through ecological innovations and practices. This year’s theme of Powering Green Cities not only reflects this necessity, but also ties in seamlessly with Malaysia’s TN50 aspiration of creating a greener future whereby cities are powered by renewable energy, people commute via electric and energy efficient vehicles as well as live and work in green buildings.”

This year’s event is set to highlight key areas of green technology critical to the development of sustainable cities through dedicated zones that cover green energy, green transport, green buildings and green industry, with major players presenting their latest innovations for trade visitors to explore the promising opportunities in green technology.

IGEM 2017 promises a dynamic and diverse show floor, which will feature exhibitors from corporations such as Jinko Solar, JA Solar, First Solar, Volvo, BMW, Malaysian Timber Certification Council and many more. With more expected to confirm, global representation at IGEM 2017 will include international pavilions from China, Japan, Korea as well as regional representation from Taiwan and European Union countries via the EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EUMCCI).

Beyond the exhibition floor, IGEM 2017 will also function as a hub for high-level discourse on some of the green sectors most pressing issues through side-line events including the Minister’s Industry Dialogue 2017: Strategic Review Roundtable which will be hosted by YB Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili, Minister for Energy, Green Technology and Water, and will feature 11 panellists from some of Malaysia’s leading institutions and organisations.

A key conference this year is the ‘IGEM 2017 Conference - International Urban Sustainability & Green Building Conference’, organised by Malaysia Green Building Confederation (MGBC), an established member of the World Green Building Council (World GBC). IUSGBC aims to explore the latest innovations and approaches to sustainable construction and green buildings, encouraging further investment in the sector through case studies, examination of trends and detailing of funding procedures.

IGEM will also play host to the ‘Palm Oil Sustainability: EU-Malaysia International Discourse’, organised by EUMCCI, which will feature international experts that will provide an overview on the global palm oil industry as well as in-depth panel discussions regarding the global outlook of palm oil practices and the sustainability issues surrounding it.

The ‘AFEEC - FAPECA Conference’, organised by The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) will delve into the growing list of carbon neutral avenues that have risen as a result of the nation’s continued drive towards sustainability and how these new potentials can be leveraged upon by entrepreneurs to widen their business horizons into the lucrative green market.

Beyond the conferences, IGEM 2017 will also feature a strong line-up of workshops that will cover a diverse range of topics that are pertinent to the green technology sector. This includes the Technical Workshop on Green Sukuk in Malaysia by Capital Markets Malaysia which will be focused on the latest developments and trends within the green financing and the green sukuk markets. There will also be the Unlocking Trade in Environmentally Sound Technologies discussion by UNEP, Environment and Trade Hub and UNEP DTU Partnerships which will see discourse centre on trade opportunities, benefits and challenges of liberalised trade in environmental technologies in developing countries.

IGEM 2017 will feature its line-up of highly successful business matching programmes including the Business Consultation by Malaysian Investment Development Authority, International Business Matching by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation, Investor Connect by Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology and Jubila Business Matching by GreenTech Malaysia and UBM MES. Other highlights include insightful seminars and pocket talks.

To cultivate greener mindsets among youth, Yayasan Hijau Malaysia, an agency under KeTTHA, together with the Ministry of Education and Centre for Education and Research in Renewable Energy (CETREE), will be hosting the ‘Karnival Inovasi Teknologi Hijau’ programme, providing secondary school youth an opportunity to be a part of IGEM through fun-filled and educational competitions, challenges and quizzes. Collaborating with GreenTech Malaysia, YaHIJAU will also be coordinating daily tours for university students to build awareness of green technology among students from the institutes of higher learning.

Since its inception in 2010, IGEM has established a successful track record of generating business leads exceeding RM10 billion, attracting over 2,000 exhibitors and 380,000 visitors from more than 50 countries.

“As interest and investment in green technology continues to grow, IGEM 2017 is set to be the destination for all things sustainable in Malaysia and across ASEAN. I urge entrepreneurs and organisations to sign-up and leverage on this opportunity to grow their green businesses. For trade visitors, IGEM 2017 will offer a unique showcase of innovative technologies and networking sessions that will connect them to ASEAN’s green industry,” SK Devamany concluded.