GEORGE TOWN, Penang: ViTrox Corp Bhd, one of the world's leading automated machine vision inspection solution providers, plans to acquire 8.1 hectares in Batu Kawan to support future growth.
Its chief executive officer, Chu Jenn Weng, said ViTrox planned to acquire the land as its present base at Bayan Lepas Industrial Park was running out of space due to rapid growth and expansion.
"We expect to start constructing the first phase next year and complete it by 2016. The project involves three phases and aims to support small and medium enterprises, research and development as well as centre of excellence," he said.
Chu was speaking to reporters after the opening of ViTrox's Centre of Excellence for machine vision by Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) chairman, Senator Tan Sri Amirsham Abdul Aziz, here today.
Also present was ViTrox's chairman, Datuk Seri Kiew Kwong Sen.
Chu said the new base would not only house the management office but also suppliers and business partners.
About 3,000 people would be employed once it was completed, he said.
On ViTrox's Centre of Excellence, Chu said, the centre would provide proposition in creating a machine vision ecosystem to tap the lucrative US$33 billion global machine vision market by 2020 with forecast compound annual growth rate of 11 per cent.
He said there was a huge opportunity for ViTrox to tap the world's machine vision market as the company's revenue last year stood at over RM100 million and there were not many players involved in the segment in Asia.
Chu said ViTrox has invested RM10 million in setting up the centre and driving various machine vision-related programme for the past 1.5 years.
The project was partially financed by MIDA, he said.
He said ViTrox would continue to invest RM20 million to RM25 million in the next two to three years to drive various training, collaboration, coaching programmes as well as providing facilities and tools to interested parties under the umbrella of Centre of Excellence for machine vision.
ViTrox, a Malaysia-based company, specialises in designing and developing automated vision inspection system and equipment testers for the semiconductor and electronic packaging industries as well as electronic communications equipment.-- Bernama