An in-house laboratory is today an integral part of many manufacturing and services outfits. Ultimate accuracy in measurement, testing and analysis are vital components of a successful business in today’s highly competitive world.

The mushrooming of Research & Development (R&D) centres in both public and private sectors certainly underlined the demands for new levels for quality to meet international standards such as the ISO9000 series and various aspects of product enhancement and developments.

Moreover, with industrial players – from SMEs to multinationals – embarking on measures to reduce production cost, Malaysia’s laboratory equipment market is poised to grow rapidly, fuelled by technological developments that are boosting sales of value-added products as well as the robust growth of R&D expenditure across a wide segment of industries.

Amid any gloom, there shall be light at the end of the tunnel, any wise economist would advocate. Come 2010, ASEAN economies is expected to rebound faster than the rest of the world with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projecting regional ASEAN economies to achieve a 4.1% growth (2009: projected 2.7%) in stark comparison with 1.6% for the United States (2009: projected -1.6%) and 0.2% for the Euro area (2009: projected -2.0%).

In its quest to insulate the country’s economy from plummeting global output and trade, the Government has spearheaded various pump-priming measures to restore the country’s economic health, including the launching of two stimulus packages valued at RM67 billion (US$18 billion) to boost economic growth.

On a long-term perspective, the Third Industrial Master Plan (IMP3) – a 15-year blueprint for industrial development in Malaysia – projects the economy to grow an average 6.3% per annum during the entire IMP3 period (2006-2020) after having expanded an average of 4.6% per annum from 1996-2005.

Key strategic thrusts identified include the undertaking of higher value-added activities, enhancing total factor productivity, venturing into new growth areas, emphasis on research and development (R&D), and the integration of Malaysian industries and services into the regional and global networks. Elsewhere, IMP3 is poised to ride on the up-cycle of economic growth in Asia and other emerging markets – most notably China and India.

Even before the outbreak of the economic crisis, Malaysia’s trade and industry had been experiencing robust performance. Global exports had been expanding at an average annual rate of 10.8% since 2004. In terms of value, Malaysia’s exports grew by 9.6% to RM605.1 billion in 2008.

Data for 2008 also indicated that Malaysia continues to be an attractive investment destination for high-value added and capital-intensive manufacturing projects. Approved investments shot up to an all-time high of RM62.8 billion in 2008, exceeding the average annual investment target of RM27.5 billion set under IMP3.

There shall be no compromise to accurate reading and rigorous testing as Malaysia rides on the waves of new and emerging technologies such as nanotechnology, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), photonics, wireless technology and advanced display technology have already come on stream and are being exported.

In line with Malaysia’s aspiration to be a biotechnology hub, total investment in excess of RM30 billion is expected to be spent to develop this fast growing sector by 2020. Additionally, government-based research bodies – some backed by institutions of higher learning – are also actively pursuing high-level research, thus maintaining a constant demand for a wide range of laboratory instruments.

These institutions include the Malaysian Agricultural Research Development Institute (MARDI), Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia (RRIM), Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Palm Oil Research Institute Malaysia (PORIM), Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic System (MIMOS), Malaysian Institute of Nuclear Technology (MINT), and SIRIM Berhad , the Organiser of LAB2010.

Elsewhere, national oil company, PETRONAS, is actively pursuing the development of integrated petrochemical complexes (IPCs) with all the necessary common infrastructural facilities and ancillary utilities to maximise synergy and to ensure a well-planned development of the industry.

To date, two IPCs located in Kertih, Terengganu and Gebeng, Pahang have been developed to meet the growing demand for petrochemical products in the region. Moving forward, the vast opportunities are not solely focused on new set-ups alone but more so the upgrading of existing facilities to meet the more stringent standards of today.

Attracting the right target group is essential to the success of any trade fair. As shown in the accompanying chart, a total of 4,227 trade visitors thronged the four-day LAB 2008, many of whom are key business personnel whose fields are relevant to the objectives of the biennial event. An Investment not to be missed!

• It’s a highly focused exhibition on laboratory instrumentation and services bringing key decision makers and users from the manufacturing and service industry under one roof.
• A perfect promotional platform to market your solutions to manufacturers and Research & Developments centres.
• A prime platform to reinforce your leading position or to make a major inroad into this huge and growing market.
• It’s perfectly timed event to ride on the expected waves of economic recovery in Malaysia and the region.
• It only happens once in 2 years to cater to new clients and those looking to upgrade its facilities.

This is non exhaustive and it is only meant to be a guide.

Apparatus, Analyzers, Autoclaves, Balances, Biotechnology Equipment, Calorimeters, Cell Counters, Chromatographs, Circulators, Clean Room, Colorimeters, Computer Systems & Software's, Conductivity Equipment, Distillers, Filtration Equipment, Furnaces, Heating Systems, Humidity Meter, Incubators, Laboratory Automation, Laboratory Wares, Microscopes, Monitors & Controllers, Oil Bath, Oscilloscopes, Particles Counters, Pipettes, Pumps, pH Instruments, Spectrometers, Ultrasonic, Instruments, Water Purification Equipment & more.