Menicon Co Ltd, a Japanese manufacturer of contact lenses and lens care solutions aims to invest MYR 650 million (USD 153 million) in Malaysia to build its first daily disposable contact lens manufacturing plant. The plant, which is planned to begin construction in August 2022, will be Menicon’s largest overseas facility and intends to meet the world’s growing myopia population.
Menicon Chief Executive Officer Hidenari Tanaka said the construction of the building and equipment for the new production facility will cover 200,000 square meters at the Kulim Hi-Tech Park, Kedah state. About 45,000 square meters of floor area of the plan will be constructed with environmentally friendly features such as solar panels, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new factory will be developed as a Smart Factory to meet the high degree of quality control needs in the sector. The scheduled production will begin in 2025 and is forecasted to employ around 100 people.
Malaysia’s Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Azmin Ali said Menicon’s decision to build a highly automated factory demonstrates Malaysia’s ability to meet the stringent standards of highly regulated industries. Menicon’s commitment to sustainable practices in the design and construction aligns with Malaysia’s ESG goals for greener investment undertakings. Tanaka stated that global competitiveness, risk of natural disasters, and languages are among the reasons for the firm to select Malaysia as the best location.
(Sources: Menicon; New Straits Times)
