The world-leading medical product and solutions company, Mölnlycke of Sweden has just opened a new surgical glove plant in Kulim Hi-Tech Park, Kedah, with sustainable production as its backbone. With a total investment of EUR50 million (RM233 million), the new facility is a major milestone and part of Mölnlycke’s sustainability roadmap, WeCare, to meet the healthcare manufacturing industry’s increasing demand sustainably, producing surgical gloves.
The new production site, which has a land area of 29,164 sqm and a building footprint of 14,620 sqm, is fully equipped with a cutting-edge automated glove production and packaging line. With the addition of the new plant, Mölnlycke expects to create some 400 new job opportunities within the state. Mölnlycke will also increase its production capacity substantially to meet future demand for high-quality surgical gloves.
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The manufacturing plant is constructed in partnership with global sustainability solutions providers, ENGIE and Veolia Water Technologies. Veolia will be assisting in improving the plant’s wastewater management, effectively recycling water, and further improving the discharge quality. With Veolia’s digitalised system, water consumption is expected to be reduced to 50 per cent. Moreover, ENGIE will be supplying the plant with its energy source by installing solar panels to power the manufacturing production and operations.
In the long run, Mölnlycke is turning its commitment to net zero Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 into reality by running its operations in a less resource-intensive way.
The new manufacturing plant was officiated by YAB. Dato’ Seri Haji Muhammad Sanusi Bin Md Nor, Chief Minister of Kedah, HE Dr Joachim Bergstrom, Ambassador of Sweden and Zlatko Rihter, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mölnlycke. Also present at the official launch were Dato’ Wira Dr Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail, Senior State EXCO Member for Industry & Investment, Higher Education, Science, Technology & Education; Datuk Wira Arham Abdul Rahman, CEO of Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA); Mohammad Haris Kader Sultan, Chief Executive (CE) of Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) and Karl-Henrik Sundström, Chair of the Board of Mölnlycke.
In his welcoming address, YAB Dato’ Seri Haji Muhammad Sanusi bin Md Nor, Chief Minister of Kedah, said, “The state of Kedah is very proud to be the host of Mölnlycke’s new state-of-the-art factory, and in that being recognised as a state providing the right prerequisites for sustainable production of high-quality surgical gloves, and in that enable Mölnlycke to live its vision to improve hand performance for health care professionals across the globe – because hands deserve better.”
Datuk Wira Arham Abdul Rahman, CEO of MIDA welcomed the launch of Mölnlycke’s new manufacturing facility saying, “Malaysia is very honoured that Mölnlycke, who has a long-term presence in Kedah, continues to expand in the Kulim Hi-Tech Park (KHTP). The establishment of Mölnlycke’s new production facility in Malaysia is a mark of confidence in the continuous sustainable growth of the Malaysian economy and will be a boon for Malaysia to maintain its leadership position in the glove manufacturing sector. Once implemented, the company’s state-of-the-art automated plant in Malaysia which has incorporated sustainable practices would be exporting 100 per cent of its production for the global market, making Malaysia part of their key value chain internationally. We are committed to supporting industry leaders like Mölnlycke and we hope to see the company grow to greater heights in the years ahead.”
Mohamad Haris Kader Sultan, CE of NCIA, further added, “NCIA is proud to facilitate Mölnlycke’s expansion in the medical devices sector as it will accelerate the development of high-technology and digitalisation ecosystem in KHTP, Kedah which is classified as NCER Special Promoted Area. Mölnlycke has been awarded with NCER Special Tax Stimulus Package in February 2022 and the company is committed to embark on Local Vendor Development in automation and digitalisation. Mölnlycke’s expansion on innovative and advanced products is in line with the government’s efforts to create 500 high-skilled employment opportunities in the science and technology field, for the benefit of the rakyat.”
JC Guillou, Vice President of Global Operations of Mölnlycke Gloves, said, “We are beyond excited and thrilled about the opening of our new plant here in Kulim, Kedah. This is a significant milestone for Mölnlycke, as it is part of our transformative journey towards becoming a global leader in sustainable healthcare. We have chosen Kulim Hi-Tech Park, Kedah as the new location of our plant, as we believe the state has the right infrastructure, talent, and capabilities to meet the demands of the manufacturing industry. With the addition of this new facility in our pipeline, we are confident that we would be able to capture and capitalise on the industry’s demand, not only in Kedah or Malaysia but in the region in general.”
Dr Joachim Bergström, Ambassador of Sweden to Malaysia, said, “Mölnlycke’s decision to continue and expand their operations here in Kulim Hi-Tech Park is a clear indicator of the successful story of Malaysian manufacturing and, in particular, here in Kedah. In return, Mölnlycke, a global leader within MedTech, will be able to increase their competitiveness on the global market. This is a story of successful cooperation, a win-win, between Mölnlycke – Kulim Hi-Tech Park, Kedah, which is also the story of our two countries. Sweden and Malaysia have a great history of producing win-wins and we will continue to do so.”
Malaysia has been actively promoting and implementing sustainable development initiatives aligning with the National Investment Aspirations (NIA) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) principles. In line with this, Mölnlycke through its shared value creation WeCare roadmap aims to contribute to Malaysia’s sustainability goals, such as energy usage reduction, wastewater management, economic growth, and innovation in infrastructure. WeCare is Mölnlycke’s sustainability roadmap for the company’s growth, innovation, and productivity drive.
With sustainability being a key aspect of the company’s strategic focus area, Mölnlycke endeavours to build a sustainable healthcare manufacturing ecosystem that would effectively meet the industry’s demand for high-quality surgical gloves, with minimum environmental impact.
Malaysia is core to Mölnlycke’s surgical gloves business. To date, the company has three other additional factories based in the country, two of which are for the manufacturing of surgical gloves and another for packing. With business in over 100 countries worldwide, Mölnlycke entered the Malaysian market in 1990 and currently employs over 2,500 Malaysians in their network.
Source: Mölnlycke
