Kuala lumpur: A total of 96 companies are expected to be recognised as smart factories by the end of this year, according to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI). The ministry stated in a reply posted on the parliament website that this target is based on the progress of several transformation programmes under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030) that have been implemented over the past two years.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Smart Tech-Up programme, introduced in December 2024, has been pivotal in encouraging companies to shift towards smart production systems. As of October 24, 2025, 21 factories have been identified as smart factories under this programme, while 71 out of 196 companies registered are undergoing various stages of transformation.

MITI aims for at least 40 companies to attain smart factory status by the third quarter of 2026 in the first cohort of the programme. This information was provided in response to a question from Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari (PH-Gombak), who inquired about the latest achievements of NIMP 2030 and the number of companies that have adopted automated manufacturing technology.

Furthermore, MITI reported that under the smart factory recognition programme, five companies have already received smart factory ratings by October 24, 2025. The ministry highlighted the consistent progress in industrial transformation through NIMP, including a 3.7 per cent increase in the manufacturing sector's added value in the second quarter of 2025.

Additionally, the number of employees in the manufacturing sector rose by 27,000 to 2.85 million, with a 5.4 per cent increase in the median salary of workers, reaching RM2,490 in 2024.