SIRIM Sees 48% Surge in Demand

Demand for testing, certification, calibration and training services at SIRIM Berhad increased by 48 per cent over the past year, highlighting the growing importance of technical compliance as Malaysian companies move into higher-value and more regulated markets.

The increase was almost seven times the previous year's growth rate of seven per cent, according to SIRIM, with the organisation saying the stronger demand reflects a broader shift among companies towards demonstrating that their products, processes and people meet requirements increasingly linked to market access.

SIRIM served 28,700 customers during the year, while its training programmes reached nearly 25,000 industry personnel. More than 23,000 of those trained were Bumiputera entrepreneurs and workers, while customer satisfaction remained above 90 per cent despite the higher volume of activity.

The organisation's order book also more than doubled, rising from RM12.1 million to RM28 million.

The growth comes as Malaysia pushes its industrial base towards higher-value activities under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 and the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan, which place emphasis on sectors including electrical and electronics, energy, smart manufacturing, aerospace, chemicals and oil and gas.

SIRIM President and Group Chief Executive Officer Nik Sazali Nik Hussin said the increase in demand reflected a shift in the way Malaysian industry approaches compliance and market access.

"A 48 per cent jump in customers reflects a clear shift within Malaysian industry, where demonstrable proof of compliance has become a prerequisite for market access," he said.

Nik Sazali said SIRIM was increasing automation and digitalisation to reduce the time companies spend waiting for testing and certification, with the objective of enabling products to reach markets, scale and enter export channels more quickly.

The organisation is also positioning its technical capabilities ahead of emerging industrial demand, including in areas such as ESG reporting, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, semiconductors, medical devices and aerospace.

SIRIM said it works with ministries, regulators and policymakers to translate national industrial priorities into testing, certification and capability-building services for companies.

The organisation was entrusted with RM474.39 million in development funding across national programmes during the year, including RM300 million under the NIMP Industrial Development Fund.

The push towards faster certification is already reflected in SIRIM's operational performance. In 2025, processing times were reduced by up to 98 per cent in targeted testing areas, while turnaround times for categories including electrical equipment and safety products were cut by between four and seven days.

SIRIM also said every employee participated in digitalisation-related training as the organisation expanded its technology capabilities.

The Government-mandated Smart Tech Up Programme, which operates under NIMP 2030, is also showing early progress towards its national target of reaching 3,000 participants by 2030.

For Malaysian manufacturers, the changing environment means technical standards and certification are increasingly becoming part of the commercial process rather than a final compliance step. SIRIM's latest figures suggest that as Malaysian industry moves towards more sophisticated products and export markets, demand for the infrastructure needed to demonstrate quality, safety and conformity is rising alongside it.