World Gloves International Group City and Development Hub (WGC) will invest RM100 million to build a glove manufacturing and warehouse facilities in Kuantan, Pahang.

Co-founder Datuk Seri Desmond Lim said the first phase development project for the global manufacturing hub for gloves is expected to complete by year-end with construction to kick-off in June.

“The first phase development involves 10 production lines across 150ha of land. The full production capacity is likely to be operational by the first-quarter (Q1) of 2022,” he said at the press conference after announcing the development of World Gloves City as a global manufacturing hub for gloves, here today.

Lim said WGC aims to produce about 200,000 pieces of nitrile gloves per month for each of the production line upon completion.

“The first two production lines are slated to be completed by November 2021 and the eight remaining lines will be operationalised by Q1 of 2022,” he said.

Lim said WGC has secured ordered from customers mainly in Egypt and China while the potential export markets would likely be the United States, Europe and Asia.

The whole development of the project will comprise a total of nine phases which will be completed by 2025.

This would create a value chain ecosystem for the manufacturing of nitrile, latex, and vinyl gloves to the global markets and strengthen Malaysia’s position as the largest glove supplier to the world.

Malaysia currently accounted for 60 per cent of global exports for gloves.

The World Gloves City is slated to be a complete ecosystem for the entire value chain of gloves and personal protective equipment products, encompassing the development of a fully-fledged digital and smart city, capable of meeting future global through its smart framework.

This includes infrastructure, mobility, governance, technology, smart living and commerce.

Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) and WGC today signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA), making the government agency as a technology partner to the project.

WGC also signed a leasing agreement with Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Pahang (PKNP) to enable the kick start the development of the first phase of the World Glove City.

Chief executive officer Datuk Madani Sahari said the project will see the use of advanced technology within the manufacturing of gloves to meet future global demands, and also transcend into smart living and intelligent commerce.

“More than half of the area will consist of the industrial park – with 750 plants equipped with clean rooms, chemistry labs, packaging and warehousing.

“The plants will utilise smart manufacturing applications, manufacturing execution system, intelligent robotics, engineering simulations, big data analytics and Internet of Thing (IoT) systems throughout the manufacturing processes,” he said.

The city will also house facilities such as supplier factory lots, ports, a power plant, research and development centres, education and training institutions, warehousing, residential areas, recreational areas, catering for a population of 600,000 by the time the city is fully developed.

“This collaboration opens doors for more businesses and expertise in the field of medical equipment, and widens the applications of smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 in this sector to remain sustainable and competitive,” added Madani.