LANGKAWI: Malaysia has the capacity to capture the rapidly evolving space economy industry, with the country’s large local talent pool, ample resources, good infrastructure and technology.

Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) deputy secretary-general (Technology Development) Datuk Dr Mohd Nor Azman Hassan said Malaysia’s geography is very suitable for the country to play an important or significant portion of the space economy.

“If you want to launch a rocket launcher for satellites, Malaysia’s equatorial location presents a huge advantage in terms of sustainable rocket launch, for example.

“Because when you launch it from the equatorial line of the globe, of the world, you essentially use less resources and fuel and also time that translates to more money and cost savings,” he told Bernama after delivering the opening speech at the Space Conference – Space Economy Revolution: Trends, Technologies And Strategies event today.

The half-day conference was held on the sidelines of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) 2025 exhibition and successfully gathered 150 participants, including senior officers from Southeast Asian space agencies, industry players, academia, ministries, departments and agencies, and international organisations.

During the event, Mohd Nor Azman also witnessed the exchange of letters of intent (LOIs) between UZMA Bhd and Global Systemes Asia Sdn Bhd; SpaceIn Sdn Bhd and Global Systemes Asia Sdn Bhd; International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Ocullospace Sdn Bhd; the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) and Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA); and MYSA and Ocullospace Sdn Bhd.

The conference, organised by Global Exhibitions & Conferences Sdn Bhd (GEC) and supported by MYSA, served as a strategic platform, bringing together experts from the space sector to address challenges at the national, regional, and international levels, among others.

Also present at the event were GEC strategy advisor Datuk Nonee Ashirin Mohd Radzi and MYSA director-general Datuk Azlikamil Napiah.