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Kuala Lumpur: The 30th edition of Metaltech & Automex opened at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) on Thursday, bringing together more than 1,500 brands and an expected 20,000 trade visitors from 53 countries amid growing pressure on manufacturers to modernise and adapt to structural industry challenges.

Organised by Informa Markets Malaysia and co-located with the Advanced Machinery & Engineering Summit (Ames) 2026, the exhibition was officiated by Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Sim Tze Tzin.

Also present were Miti Deputy Secretary General (Industry) Datuk Hanafi Sakri, Machinery and Engineering Industries Federation president Mac Ngan Boon and Informa Markets Malaysia Country General Manager Gerard Leeuwenburgh.

Held under the theme “Powering Industrial Excellence, Redefining Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing,” the event comes as manufacturers across the region face rising input costs, energy price volatility, supply chain disruptions and accelerating technological change.

Malaysia’s manufacturing sector contributed 22.5 per cent to national GDP in 2025, attracted more than RM131 billion in investments and employed nearly 2.5 million people nationwide.

In his opening address, Sim said Malaysia’s manufacturing strength should not lead to complacency as long-term competitiveness depended on the industry’s ability to adapt and modernise continuously.

“These numbers are not just statistics. They are proof of how vital this sector is to our nation’s prosperity,” he said.

Drawing parallels with the decline of former mobile phone giant Nokia, Sim warned that industrial leadership today did not guarantee future relevance.

“The ‘Nokia Lesson’ is simple: success is a terrible teacher. Complacency is dangerous. Just because we are strong today does not mean we will stay strong tomorrow,” he said.

Sim said the government remained committed to supporting manufacturers under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), which aims to establish at least 3,000 smart factories nationwide by 2030 through incentives and financing support from agencies including MIDF and EXIM Bank Malaysia.

Mac said platforms such as Metaltech, Automex and Ames had become increasingly important as manufacturers navigated industrial transformation and growing competitive pressures.

“They create opportunities not only to showcase technologies and products, but also to strengthen industrial capability, exchange practical knowledge, build partnerships and prepare Malaysian companies for the future,” he said, while Leeuwenburgh added that the exhibition had evolved into a regional platform connecting industries, innovation and business opportunities across Southeast Asia.