Work on the two main components of BioXCell - the Central Hub (CenHub) and the Central Utilities Facility (CUF) – will start towards the end of the year and be completed before end-2012.
Nusajaya Development Sdn Bhd project director Zulkifli Tahmali told StarBiz that total investment for both components was more than RM100mil.
He said the CenHub would consist of shared facilities such as administrative offices, research and development laboratories, logistics and meeting facilities.
The CUF is a central storage system where chilled water, steam and gas – specific to the biotechnology industry would be channelled to biotech companies in the biotech park.
“To date, we have received investments from India, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States, and they will set up their operations in the park from 2011 onwards,’’ said Zulkifli.
He said these biotech companies were involved in the production of enzymes to be sold worldwide for the pharmaceutical, food and agricultural industries.
Zulkifli was speaking at UEM Land Holdings Bhd’s Mega Raya Open House celebration and property showcase of the ongoing development projects in Nusajaya by UEM Land.
Presently, UEM Land subsidiary Nusajaya Development undertakes three projects here namely East Ledang, Nusa Idaman and Puteri Harbour. Nusa Bayu will be launched soon, while its Horizon Hills is a joint-venture project between UEM Land and Gamuda Land Bhd.
BioXCell, a biotech park on 32.37ha in the Southern Industrial and Logistics Clusters (SiLC) is being developed by Malaysian BioXCell Sdn Bhd.
UEM Land holds 40% equity in the latter with the remaining 60% held by Malaysian Biotechnology Corp Bhd (Biotech Corp).
UEM Land is the developer of the 526.10ha SiLC in Nusajaya, which is being developed as a clean and green industrial park in Iskandar Malaysia.
“Our role is project management – taking care of the facilities and procurement activities, while the marketing of the park comes under Biotech Corp,’’ he said.
UEM provides the land and infrastructure for the biotech project, while Biotech Corp brings in the biotech and marketing expertise.
Zulkifli said BioXCell was in a unique position as it was being developed on a joint-venture basis between a property developer and the lead agency for developing the biotech industry in the country.
He said the biotech park would benefit from its close proximity to Singapore because of the latter’s advanced biotech industry in which Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, which was strong in life sciences, offered a ready pool of human capital.
Zulkifli said the company was confident that BioXCell would do well as the biotech industry was an emerging business worldwide and could be considered as the next information technology.
