PETALING JAYA: Malaysian healthcare companies must emphasise a clear strategy to create more opportunities for business, partnerships, and export growth.
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) deputy CEO (export acceleration) S. Jai Shankar said domestic and international companies can leverage and discover Malaysia’s healthcare capabilities and connect with companies across the wider healthcare ecosystem through International Healthcare Week 2027, which will take place from July 13 to 15, 2027, at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
“Malaysia already has a strong healthcare ecosystem. Our capabilities cover medical devices, pharmaceuticals, gloves, healthcare services, clinical research, medical laboratories, rehabilitation, elderly care, healthcare facility management and other supporting industries.
“We also have a strong manufacturing base and an established network of companies serving international markets. But industry alone did not build this ecosystem.
“It is supported by our regulators, healthcare institutions, research organisations, service providers, government agencies and industry associations.
“IHW 2027 provides an opportunity to bring these different parts of the ecosystem together and present Malaysia’s capabilities to an international audience,“ he said at a press conference today.
Shankar said Malaysia is stepping onto this regional stage from a position of strong fundamentals.
In 2025, Malaysia’s medical device exports reached RM34.54 billion. This includes more than RM10 billion in medical gloves, nearly RM6 billion in precision needles and catheters, and significant exports of orthopaedic products and electrodiagnostic equipment.
“Our pharmaceutical sector is also showing encouraging growth, with exports increasing by 20.6% to RM3.66 billion in 2025. The positive momentum has continued into 2026.
“From January to August 2026, pharmaceutical exports increased by 10.2% to RM2.58 billion, while medical device exports reached RM24.12 billion.
“These figures reflect the strength and competitiveness of Malaysia’s healthcare industry and the opportunities for our companies to expand further into regional and international markets,“ Shankar said.
He said Matrade’s objective is to establish Malaysia as the Asian healthcare trade hub while encouraging greater participation from local companies, attracting more international buyers, and generating increased business value from this platform.
According to Frost & Sullivan, Malaysia’s private healthcare market is set to grow from approximately RM74 billion in 2022 to RM158 billion by 2029, an 11.4% compound annual growth rate, driven by an ageing population, rising chronic disease and demand for private care.
Private hospital capacity is forecast to reach around 23,500 beds by 2028, with investment flowing into oncology, cardiology, day surgery, diagnostics, digital health and aged care.
Shankar noted that at IHW 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, eight Malaysian companies participating under Astaka Malaysia generated more than RM130 million in export sales. This strongly indicates IHW’s commercial potential and what Malaysian companies can achieve when connected with the right buyers, markets, and international networks, he said.
“We believe we can do more in 2027. IHW 2027 will bring together major healthcare events and activities covering pharmaceuticals, medical devices, laboratories, healthcare technology and related sectors.
“It will also provide opportunities for business-to-business (B2B) meetings, business networking, conferences, seminars and knowledge sharing.
“In terms of scale, we expect IHW 2027 to attract more than 26,000 trade visitors and 950 exhibitors, bringing together a larger community of healthcare companies, buyers, investors, professionals and industry partners from Malaysia and around the world.”
Shankar said this means Malaysian companies have access to a larger pool of international buyers and potential business partners.
“For our international partners, embassies and chambers of commerce, we welcome your participation in bringing your companies, buyers and business communities to Malaysia and connecting them with our healthcare industry.
“And for our government agencies and healthcare partners, IHW 2027 provides a platform to share expertise, strengthen industry linkages and showcase the depth of Malaysia’s healthcare ecosystem.”
IHW 2027, Shankar said, is also an opportunity for Matrade to strengthen collaboration with Informa Markets, the agency’s strategic partner in IHW. “We appreciate the opportunity to work together in developing IHW as a platform that connects the Malaysian healthcare industry with the regional and international market.”
IHW 2027 is designed to capture that momentum, bringing together three major exhibitions under one roof – CPHI South East Asia, World Health Expo Kuala Lumpur and Medtec Southeast Asia – spanning the healthcare value chain from pharmaceuticals and ingredients to medical devices, medtech manufacturing and hospital solutions.
