Organised by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), Croatian innovators met with potential Malaysian partners through business forums and individual talks in Kuala Lumpur. Could the distant Malaysian market offer opportunities for Croatian companies?

As Novac writes on the 22nd of February, 2020, Roto kruna (crown), Citus, Sestan-Busch, Priroda lijeci (Nature heals), Dizz Concept and Altpro have presented their products and services. A visit to the Malaysia Technology Expo Innovation Fair and Exhibition was also organised, where the Croatian companies presented themselves in the organisation of the Association of Croatian Innovators and won an impressive four gold medals.

Gold for industrial design and printing was won by 3D Tech, gold for ICT by Citus, gold was also won by the healthcare company Priroda lijeci, while the gold medal for construction went into the hands of Dizz Concept.

''The quality of our innovators is confirmed by numerous international awards, so it isn't surprising that Malaysian investors have shown great interest in their products. We've opened the doors of this market to them by organising visits, and judging by the meetings held, some of them will soon realise concrete cooperation,'' said HGK Industry Sector Director Tajana Kesic-Sapic.

"This is a big market where there is definitely room for Croatian companies with quality and innovative products," said Kesic-Sapic, such as Infobip, who already has an office there and was also featured at the fair.

Among the six Croatian companies as part of the delegation was Dizz Concept, whose director Darko Spiljaric presented potential Malaysian investors with PIA pop-up cuisine intended primarily for small apartments, tourist facilities and offices.

"Our modular concept saves a lot of space and has already received numerous awards. We tailor our products to individual markets, which is why we have six models of PIA cuisines that are made exactly from the inputs of clients from different countries. The differences are drastic, so the kitchens we make, for example, for the Taiwanese market have virtually nothing to do with the ones we do in the US,'' explained Spiljaric, adding that thanks to the good organisation of HGK, they have held many quality meetings and the further development of the situation depends on the technical arrangements of them and any potential partners.

Dizz Concept is among the Croatian companies already operating worldwide, and along with the US and Taiwan, they are present on markets from Hong Kong and Singapore to over a dozen EU countries, all the way to Kenya and Canada. Citus presented a piece of innovation at the fair that represents an entirely new approach to human-machine communication using artificial intelligence and blockchain technology.

"We take the parametres of the man who controls the machine and we create a unique footprint that makes all the data anonymised. That footprint can then access various content and information while fully protecting the privacy of its users,'' explained Brigita Prole of Citus Marketing.

''At this innovation exhibition, we've established contacts with many local entrepreneurs thanks to the excellent preparation of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and I hope that we'll manage to realise all the agreed deals upon our return home. What matters is that we've come to meetings with companies that know very well what we're doing, with concrete proposals for cooperation. This isn't the first time we've been there, and we can see the growing interest of the Malaysian market and the seriousness of approaching the business. I believe that a lot of good jobs will be done in the near future for the benefit of Croatian companies,'' said Prole.

HGK co-financed the expenses of the member companies by fifty percent. As part of the visit, the delegation was received by the National Chamber of Commerce of Malaysia and the Malaysian Export Agency (MATRADE), where Croatian companies and their innovators held B2B interviews with Malaysian partners.

They also visited the Malaysian Palm Oil Authority (MPOB) and the Proton car factory in Kuala Lumpur. Otherwise, the MTE 2020 is a place where innovators are given visibility and plenty of market opportunities to commercialise their innovation, and it is also a meeting place for business and research organisations to showcase their latest inventions and see what competitors are doing in different industries.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business page for more on Croatian companies.

Medical Travel Media Awards (MTMA 2020) offers cash prizes up to RM80,000 for the best media features

KUALA LUMPUR, February 2020 – The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) has recently announced that it expected more than 350 entries from journalists globally who have reported positively on the potential of the Malaysian medical travel industry through their media reports and features to participate in the Medical Travel Media Awards 2020 (MTMA2020). This award event that recognises and rewards excellence in journalism for both local and international media garnered more than 250 submissions from over 10 countries last year.

MTMA is the first global media award which honours the journalists’ contributions specifically in the medical travel industry which have made a major impact in terms of revenues and number of healthcare travellers. Malaysia has ranked in the Top 10 of the global medical travel destinations for many years which led the country to become the hub for cardiology, IVF, oncology, plastic surgery and many more.

“Healthcare travel is one of the fastest growing industries in Malaysia. Our country has an extensive history in healthcare travel excellence that lends to high-quality offerings. This is only made possible with the continuous support from members of the media who have played a pivotal role in carving Malaysia Healthcare on a global scale. MTMA2020 continues our support for the media and more importantly, holds in great respect, the best work in healthcare travel journalism”.

This national initiative is further driven with the support of Asia’s leading digital public relations platform, Supernewsroom which opens access for MHTC to connect with more than 25,000 journalists and editors in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Throughout 2018, the local healthcare travel industry flourished and attained RM1.5 billion in revenue. While in 2019, MHTC recorded 1.3 million healthcare travellers that brought in an estimated of RM1.7 billion worth of revenue. This year, Malaysia expects to see a jump in the number of healthcare travellers which will contribute to an estimated revenue of RM2 billion.

“This year as we celebrate the Malaysia Year of Healthcare Travel 2020 campaign (MyHT2020), we would like to invite healthcare travellers to experience Malaysia’s first international healthcare travel campaign. This campaign aims to invite everyone to seek healthcare and wellness treatments in Malaysia while exploring our country’s tourism attractions. With the MyHT2020 campaign going in full gear, we anticipate more submissions this year as we see Malaysia transforming from a hidden jewel to the World’s Healthcare Marvel,” said Chief Executive Officer of MHTC, Sherene Azli.

In its second installation, MTMA2020 will be held on 18 August 2020 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This year, MTMA2020 has upped the game with the introduction of more award categories. To encourage more international participation, MHTC has introduced five awards for international media on top of separate categories for Malaysian media. All submissions will be reviewed by a panel of local and international media experts as judges.

Malaysia, the World’s Healthcare Marvel

Malaysia is the number one healthcare travel destination by volume according to The Global Market Report 2018 produced by LaingBuisson. Gaining further recognition, Malaysia has been internationally recognised as the “Best Country in the World for Healthcare” from 2015 to 2019 by US-based International Living and “Destination of the Year” for healthcare travel by UK-based International Medical Travel Journal from 2015 to 2017 based on these criteria: quality, accessibility and affordability. 

With MyHT2020 headlining the year in tandem with Visit Malaysia 2020, MTMA2020 is expected to garner more entry submissions from media organisations all around the world, furthering Malaysia Healthcare’s global awareness.

For more information on the MTMA2020, please visit https://www.mhtc.org.my/mtma/ or our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MyMTMA/

MTMA2020 welcomes entry submissions from both local and international media organisations at https://www.mhtc.org.my/mtma/entry-submission/

ABOUT THE MALAYSIA HEALTHCARE TRAVEL COUNCIL

The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) is a government agency that has been entrusted with the responsibility of curating the country’s healthcare travel scene. Founded in 2009, MHTC works to streamline industry players and service providers in facilitating and growing Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry under the brand “Malaysia Healthcare” with the intended goal of making Malaysia the leading global healthcare destination. 

Start Planning Your Healthcare Journey with Malaysia Healthcare

To find out more information, visit: www.malaysiahealthcare.org or contact the MHTC Call Centre: 1-800-188-688 (within Malaysia) or +603 272 68 688 (outside Malaysia), which operates from Mondays to Fridays from 9.00am to 6.00pm (GMT +8).

Experience a seamless end-to-end patient journey beginning at our Malaysia Healthcare Concierge and Lounge(s) located at:

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA): Arrival Hall, Gate 8 (+ 603 8776 6168)

Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2): Departure Area, Level 3 (+603 8778 5566)

Penang International Airport (PIA): Level 1, Arrival Concourse (+ 604 643 1626)

Malaysia Healthcare Social Media

• Facebook – facebook.com/malaysiahealthcare.org
• Instagram – instagram.com/malaysiahealthcare

Malaysia Healthcare’s Recent Awards & Recognition:

International Living (Global Retirement Index 2015 - 2019)

• Malaysia - “Best Country in the World for Healthcare”

International Medical Travel Journal – Medical Travel Awards

• Health and Medical Tourism: Destination of the Year – Malaysia (2015 – 2017)
• Health and Medical Tourism: Cluster of the Year – Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (2017-2019)

Asia Pacific Healthcare & Medical Tourism Awards (2017 – 2019)

MasterCard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index (2011 – 2019)

• Top Country for Muslim Travel

World’s Best Hospitals for Medical Tourists by the Medical Travel Quality Alliance (2013, 2014, 2017-2019)

• Prince Court Medical Centre

For more details on MHTC’s awards listing, please visit: www.malaysiahealthcare.org

Winners Quote:

Best Print Feature - Nadia Badarudin (New Straits Times)

The MTMA event is a great channel for journalists to beef up an article's credibility in the field of medical travel. As the nation's healthcare industry grows rapidly, Malaysia is sharing its expertise with the world to help those seeking treatment. For me, writing that winning piece was indeed a great experience because I knew it would benefit many readers especially couples who are considering IVF to bring more joy into their lives.

Best Online Feature (Local) - Chester Chin (The Star)

With the number of medical tourists to Malaysia growing, my story examined how the hospitality sector can play a role in offering after-care treatment. I'm glad the story was honoured at the inaugural MTMA last year. This year being Malaysia Year of Healthcare Travel 2020, I'm sure there are many more great healthcare travel stories to be told. Kudos to MHTC for creating a stage where these stories can be celebrated, and ultimately be discussed further, with a bigger audience. All the best to the participants of MTMA2020!

Best Online Feature (International) - Paul Bradbury (Total Croatia News)

Journalism can be a lonely profession, with hard work often unrecognised. It was therefore a huge honour to win an award at the first MTMA awards last year, an award which enabled me to visit beautiful Malaysia for the first time and learn more about Malaysia's emerging medical tourism industry during my 5-day tour of the country and its hospitals courtesy of MHTC. Malaysia has quickly earned a reputation as a leading, innovative and focused example of excellence within the medical tourism industry. I love what Sherene and the MHTC are doing on every level, and the MTMA awards were one more example of MHTC being ahead of the competition. I look forward to following the 2020 Healthcare Marvel and meeting old friends and new in Kuala Lumpur soon. Thank you for your incredible hospitality, and Go Malaysia!

Best Broadcast Feature - Nursyamimi Syahira Saripan (Radio Television Malaysia)

When I wrote that special report on IVF, I learned based on my research that Malaysia has among the top success rates in child conception in the world. Imagine how this development in our healthcare can make dreams of couples out there who wish for their own child come true. Congratulations, MHTC for helping people realize this dream.

Best Editorial Team - Sinar Harian

This award has motivated our Sinar Harian team to continuously publish informative reports on health issues that are supported by accurate and trustworthy facts. We hope that MHTC will continue to organize this kind of recognition event for media practitioners for years to come. Thank you, MHTC!

ZAGREB, February 23, 2019 - Croatian innovators and entrepreneurs have won 15 awards at the Malaysia Technology Expo 2019 in Kuala Lumpur - the Best of the Best Award, four golds, three silvers and seven special awards.

The 18th International Expo on Inventions and Innovations featured 435 innovations from Malaysia and ten Southeast Asian and European countries, the Zagreb Inventors Association said in press release on Saturday, adding that numerous contacts were made to promote innovative Croatian products on the Malaysian market.

Croatia's exhibitors, all from Zagreb, won 15 awards for ten innovations and new products. For the first time, the expo had a partner country, Croatia, owing to its tenth participation in the event and the 25th anniversary of Malaysian-Croatian diplomatic relations.

With the support of the Croatian Embassy to Malaysia and in cooperation with the Croatian Inventors Network (SHI) and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, the organisers of the expo organised a business conference which was attended by Malaysia's top political officials and business community.

A business consultant network for cooperation between Croatia and ASEAN countries was formed on that occasion, while SHI and the Transformational Innovative Maverick company signed an agreement on cooperation in the commercialisation of Croatian inventions and new products.

Speaking at the conference, Croatian Ambassador Krešo Glavač invited the Malaysian business community to cooperate in the market application of Croatian inventors' new achievements.

The Croatian delegation presented the 44th International Invention Show which Zagreb will host in November. Croatia's biggest innovation expo is expected to attract many inventors from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Iran, Taiwan, Ukraine and China, the press release said.

More news on Croatian investors can be found in the Made in Croatia section.

She first dreamed of going to the Adriatic coast.

ZAGREB, February 25, 2018 - Croatian inventors and entrepreneurs have won 11 awards at the Malaysia Technology Expo (MTE) in Kuala Lumpur, including the main prize, two golds, two silvers and three bronzes, for seven inventions and new products, the Zagreb Alliance of Inventors said on Saturday.