Nasdaq-listed Intuitive Surgical Inc plans to invest nearly US$500 million in Penang over its first five years of operations as the robotic-assisted surgery company establishes its first manufacturing facility in Southeast Asia.
The 316,000-square-foot facility at Bandar Cassia Technology Park will sit on a 40-acre site leased from the Penang Development Corporation (PDC). Operations are expected to begin in 2028, with the workforce growing to 1,200 highly skilled employees by 2032.
Malay Mail reported that phase one alone, covering land and building, will cost about US$200 million (RM817 million). Intuitive executive vice-president and chief manufacturing and supply chain officer Mark Brosius said the five-year total, including operations and employee training, would approach half a billion US dollars.
“The five-year plans will vary depending on the market, so the figure is not exact. But over the first five years of operations, if you count all the employee training overheads, I believe it should approach half a billion US dollars,” Brosius told reporters after the lease agreement announcement at Komtar.
Bernama reported that the facility will manufacture surgical instruments and electromechanical devices for Intuitive’s da Vinci surgical system. Brosius said for every dollar spent within the factory, the company typically spends about US$5 on raw materials, generating wider economic benefits through its supply chain.
“This is, for us, a long-term commitment. We saw that there was a large hub of medical device technology here and a wonderful business climate, very evolved and efficient infrastructure,” he said.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the investment reflected global industry confidence in the state’s mature industrial sector and skilled workforce. He noted that six of the world’s top 30 MedTech companies by global sales already have manufacturing operations in Penang.
“Penang had the highest concentration of medtech companies in Malaysia and Southeast Asia,” Chow said.
The Penang plant will be Intuitive’s second manufacturing facility in Asia after Shanghai and its first in Southeast Asia. The company, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, is a leader in robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery.
