INTUITIVE Surgical Inc (Nasdaq: ISRG), a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), will invest more than RM2 billion over five years to establish its first manufacturing facility in Malaysia and Southeast Asia at Bandar Cassia Technology Park (BCTP).
The 316,000-square-foot facility is expected to begin operations in 2028 and create 1,200 highly skilled jobs by 2032.
It will manufacture surgical instruments and electromechanical devices for Intuitive’s da Vinci surgical system, strengthening the company’s global manufacturing network and bringing production closer to customers across the Asia-Pacific region, where demand for robotic-assisted surgery continues to grow.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said Penang was honoured that Intuitive, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, had chosen the state for the strategic investment, reflecting the company’s confidence in Penang as a trusted manufacturing destination.
“I am delighted to welcome Intuitive to Penang. Once again, such investments reflect the confidence that global industry leaders have in Penang’s mature industrial ecosystem, highly skilled workforce and proven manufacturing excellence,” he said.
He said investments such as Intuitive’s would accelerate Penang’s ambition to become the leading MedTech hub in Southeast Asia.
Chow said Penang had leveraged more than five decades of industrial excellence to expand beyond the electrical and electronics (E&E) industry into other advanced manufacturing sectors, including medical technology (MedTech), which he described as the “hidden gem” of Penang.
“Penang has the highest concentration of MedTech companies in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, quite unknown to a lot of people. Supported by world-class infrastructure, strong engineering capabilities, an experienced talent pool and an integrated supply chain, our ecosystem continues to attract leading MedTech companies.
“In fact, six of the world’s top 30 MedTech companies by global sales have established manufacturing operations in Penang,” he said.
From 2021 to the first quarter of 2026, Penang secured RM2.3 billion in approved manufacturing investments in the scientific and measuring equipment sector, including MedTech, representing nearly 20 per cent of the nation’s total investments in the sector.
The investments involved 40 projects and generated nearly 4,500 employment opportunities, Chow said.
Chow said the Penang state government, through agencies including the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and InvestPenang, together with federal partners such as the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), remained committed to supporting investors throughout their growth journey.
“We will continue working closely with industry to facilitate business expansion, strengthen industrial capabilities and reinforce Penang’s position as a leading MedTech manufacturing hub in the region,” he said.
Intuitive executive vice-president and chief manufacturing and supply chain officer Mark Brosius said the investment represented a long-term commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, which the company expects to become its largest market in the future.
The company has entered into a lease agreement with PDC for its new manufacturing facility at Bandar Cassia Technology Park, covering a 40-acre site.
The event also saw the exchange of documents between Brosius and PDC chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Latiff Abdul Aziz.
“This new facility will become an integral part of our global manufacturing operations, helping us consistently deliver the high-quality, innovative products our customers and patients depend on,” he said.
Brosius added that Intuitive has, to date, served 20 million patients through surgeries in 70 countries, with 12,000 Intuitive robots installed in hospitals around the world.
“We began in Asia Pacific 20 years ago, but today this is our fastest-growing market, and we believe it will become our largest market eventually.
“We have, to date, done 2.5 million surgeries in the Asia Pacific region and trained 25,000 surgeons through 20 training centres in more than 13 countries. But that’s accelerating very dramatically.
“By the year this plant begins operation, in 2028, we expect to be doing more than a million surgeries a year in Asia, accelerating rapidly to a million and a half beyond that,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Sim Tze Tzin said he was glad that Intuitive’s plan to invest in Malaysia had now been realised after eight years of efforts to bring the investment to fruition.
“The Government tries to help and facilitate investment opportunities by giving, among other things, tax incentives. I hope multinational companies will reward our workers with higher wages and bonuses, and help bring the economy to the next level,” Sim said.
“I also look forward to them assisting SMEs as strategic players, helping local vendors in their businesses.”
The Intuitive-PDC lease agreement announcement ceremony was also attended by InvestPenang chief executive officer Datuk Seri Loo Lee Lian and Penang MIDA director Muhammad Ghaddaffi Sardar Mohamed.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Mohd Iqbal Hamzah
Video by Siti Nuratikah Rahmat