Today, the Commission and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) launched the new EU SME Fund, which offers vouchers for EU-based SMEs to help them protect their intellectual property (IP) rights. This is the second EU SME Fund aiming at supporting SMEs in the COVID-19 recovery and green and digital transitions for the next three years (2022-2024).

Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “Small is beautiful, but if SMEs want to grow or take the lead in new technologies, they need to protect their inventions and creations, as big companies do. New ideas and expertise are the main added value we have in the EU. With this Fund, we want to support SMEs to face those peculiar times and remain strong and innovative through the decades to come.”

Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said: “It goes without saying that SMEs have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. But what does not change is that they remain the backbone of our economy, of our ecosystems. This Fund will support SMEs to valorise their innovations and creativity. And this is crucial for SMEs to recapitalise and drive the green and digital transitions.”

On behalf of the EU-ASEAN Business Council, as a supporting partner, EUROCHAM Malaysia would like to invite our members to participate in the upcoming webinar by EU-ASEAN Business Council regarding ASEAN in 2022: Economic Outlook & Driver’s Growth happening Thursday 27 January 2022, 4 PM (SGT).

ASEAN is beginning to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccination rates in some member states are well above the global average while the rest are ramping up efforts to inoculate citizens, enabling the region to experience a strong recovery. The strong desire to focus on sustainable growth and digitalisation, renewed promises to achieve economic integration, and the growing consumption power of the middle-class are positive signs of growth in ASEAN. However, while some forecasts are optimistic, others remain cautious, citing the capricious nature of the coronavirus and its variants as a significant source for worry alongside increasing geopolitical tensions.

The Ministry of Health Malaysia has issued a media statement regarding New Period for Isolation of Covid-19 Positive Cases and Close Contact Quarantine of Covid-19 Positive Cases – media statement as follows:

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has implemented isolation orders on COVID-19 positive cases and quarantine for close contact of COVID-19 positive cases under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 [Act 342] to control the spread of COVID-19 infection.

Based on data, science, and experience of other related countries in the management of COVID-19 positive cases and close contact to positive cases, the MOH has re-evaluated the period of surveillance and observation and decided on the latest ruling as follows:

COVID-19 Positive Cases

The isolation order on COVID-19 positive cases for ALL types of variants is:

• Seven (7) days of self-isolation for cases where the individual has been fully vaccinated and asymptomatic;

EUROCHAM Malaysia would like to congratulate our Corporate Partner, Siemens Malaysia, together with our fellow members BMW Malaysia and Tenaga National on the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) alongside BMW’s launch of the iX in Malaysia during NextGen event.

It is truly a remarkable occasion, and we celebrate the milestone that these exceptional organisations have reached in Malaysian electromobility.

The first day of BMW's NextGen Malaysia saw the official arrival of the all-electric sports activity vehicle (SAV) iX.

We would like to welcome Barium Selat as a new member of EUROCHAM Malaysia! We are thrilled to have you as part of our EU-MY business community. We look forward to collaborating and working together with your esteemed organisation to provide the utmost best service through an array of promotional and advocacy programmes and strategies.

Since its inception in 2015, Barium Selat has always been in start-up mode as they started up in the oil and gas industry, they have now expanded its horizons to include technology, waste management, energy, and investment capital. The company’s philosophy is to always come up with new ideas and challenge the paradigm for the future.