PETALING JAYA: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (Matrade) and Aker Solutions have established a partnership to further grow the global footprint of Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the energy industry.
The collaboration, which is part of Matrade’s global sourcing programme initiative, is targeted towards local companies to leverage on Aker Solutions’ procurement network, via a customised business matching engagement programme between Malaysian manufacturers and different procurement teams within Aker Solutions.
“We trust such programmes will provide further impetus for the local oil and gas and related sectors to seek new customers and markets, amidst a very competitive landscape brought about by low crude oil prices,” Matrade CEO Sharimahton Mat Saleh said in a statement today.
She said that the agency is certain that Malaysian companies selected to be Aker Solutions’ suppliers will be able to serve its other hubs around the world too.
Aker Solutions managing director and country manager for Malaysia and Brunei Hatta Kamaruzzaman said that the group’s engagement with existing and potential Malaysian suppliers are part of its commitment to develop local competencies and provide opportunities into the energy industry.
“We are growing our supplier base in Malaysia to provide products and services to our customers globally. Our suppliers are vital to our continued success in this region, they add value to our solutions,” he added.
For the first phase of engagement, 50 participants from 35 local SMEs were selected for a series of customised briefings and workshops sessions with Aker Solutions’ team in Malaysia.
These sessions focused on products and services required by Aker Solutions, allowing the participants to understand the group’s sourcing needs and be part of its supply chain network.
For 2018, Malaysia’s trade of oil and gas products stood at RM266.26 billion, while the trade figure for the sector in the first half of this year stood at RM125.94 billion.
Sharimahton urged Malaysian companies to reach out to the agency, to inquire how they could expand their businesses abroad as it has a number of exporters development and export promotion programmes.
“These efforts are targeted to boost their export capabilities and secure them business deals with foreign buyers,” she said.
