DASSAULT SYSTÈMES MALAYSIA
OFFICE OPENING
21 OCTOBER 2026 | 3.30 PM
CROWN PENTHOUSE, BANDAR UTAMA
SALUTATION
1. His Excellency Marc Abensour (pronounce: Mark A-Ben-Seor)
Ambassador of France to Malaysia
2. Mr Samson Khaou
Executive Vice President (Asia-Pacific), Dassault Systèmes
3. Representatives from Dassault Systèmes
4. Representatives from the Ministry of Investment, Trade and
Industry (MITI) and other government agencies
Distinguished Guest,
Member of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
2
Salam Perpaduan, Salam Malaysia MADANI and a very good
Afternoon.
1. Before I begin, allow me to say terima kasih to the organising team
for having me here today.
2. His Excellency, I hope it has been a pleasant and productive 10
months since you’ve been posted to Malaysia.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
3. When most people hear the word "digital", they often think of
mobile applications, e-commerce and government services online.
4. Such services matter, and in Malaysia, we have made real
progress in those areas.
5. But the digital technology that can accelerate Malaysia's prosperity
over the next decade is not just limited to our phones. It is the
systems and solutions used in our factories, our vehicles and our
data centres.
6. That is industrial digitalisation, and it is where artificial intelligence
(AI) will do its most consequential work.
7. Dassault Systèmes has been in that business for over 40 years.
8. The aircraft some of us flew in to get here was designed on its
software. So were the vehicles on our roads, the semiconductor
packages in our devices and, increasingly, the medicines in our
pharmacies.
9. What the company brings to Malaysia is not an application. It is the
connective tissue between an idea and a physical product, and a
platform on which AI can be trained on an accurate model of the
real world.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
10. In electrical and electronics and in high-tech manufacturing,
Malaysia is executing the National Semiconductor Strategy. We
are in the world’s 10 top when it comes to assembly, testing and
packaging. Now we are growing our IC design, advanced
packaging and equipment.
11. The IC Design Park in Puchong sn one great example of meeting
Malaysia’s goals
12. In industrial equipment and advanced manufacturing, Malaysia’s
New Industrial Master Plan 2030 encourages our factories to
become smarter, more productive and more sustainable.
13. Virtual twins allow a plant in Penang or Shah Alam to be
re-planned, re-balanced and re-skilled in the digital world before
the physical line is touched.
14. That is how a mid-sized Malaysian manufacturer competes with a
larger rival abroad: not by spending more, but by learning faster.
15. Malaysia already hosts a strong maintenance, repair and overhaul
and aerostructures base in the aerospace scene. The same
platform that designs the aircraft can manage its configuration and
maintenance for 30 years of service. That is a capability our MRO
sector can own.
16. In automotive, our national carmakers and their supply chains are
navigating the transition to electric and software-defined vehicles.
The digital thread from design to manufacturing and eventually to
after-sales is no longer optional in the automotive industry. It is the
entry ticket.
17. And in the hyperscaler and data centre build-out, the question is
no longer whether Malaysia can host the compute. It is whether
Malaysian industries will use such infrastructure. We want the data
centres we are building to power Malaysian factories and
Malaysian designs.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
18. That brings me to the role of the Digital Ministry. Through AI
Malaysia Berhad, we are putting in place the governance, talent
programmes and the sectoral frameworks that will allow Malaysian
companies to adopt AI responsibly and at scale.
19. Through the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and
our Digital Economy Blueprint, we are building the data,
connectivity and cybersecurity foundations that industrial AI
depends on.
20. And through our partnerships with MITI, the Selangor government
and other public agencies represented here today, we are ensuring
that digital policy and industrial policy pull in the same direction.
21. All I ask in return is for Dassault Systemes to assist our SMEs. By
making technology affordable and offering hands-on training, your
company’s initiatives and tools can deliver lasting national value.
As such, I call on Dassault Systèmes to commit to measurable
goals here, supported fully by my Ministry and MDEC.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
22. France has built one of the world's most sophisticated
industrial-technology ecosystems — from aerospace, nuclear to
luxury manufacturing. And it has done so with smart investments
and research.
23. Malaysia must take the same steps. Partnerships like this one will
certainly assist us in our goal to turning Malaysia into an AI Nation
and to further grow our already booming digital economy.
24. To Mr Khaou and the Dassault Systèmes leadership, thank you for choosing to expand in Malaysia. To the Malaysian team in this office: the work you do, for your Malaysian customers and for customers across the region, is part of our national digital story. 25. It is an honour to declare this office open. Thank you. Merci beaucoup.
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