D-8, Malaysia hold webinar on boosting industrial cooperation

The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation joined forces with Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) to host a webinar aimed at deepening industrial cooperation among the bloc's nine developing member states. Held under the theme "Leveraging Malaysia's Industrial Experience for D-8 Cooperation," the session drew more than 70 participants, including senior government officials, investment and export promotion agencies, SME representatives and chamber-of-commerce figures from across the D-8 geography.

Malaysia's economic transformation

Opening the session, D-8 Secretary-General Ambassador Sohail Mahmood pointed to Malaysia's evolution into a diversified, export-driven manufacturing economy as a case study with direct relevance for fellow member states. He highlighted the country's track record in industrial planning, investment attraction, export promotion, technology adoption, workforce development and private-sector partnership as lessons the wider D-8 bloc could draw upon.

Bloc eyes $500 billion trade target by 2030

Turning to the numbers, the Secretary-General noted that the nine D-8 economies together command a combined GDP exceeding US$5.19 trillion and merchandise exports of roughly US$1.09 trillion — a scale he argued remains underused. Ambassador Sohail Mahmood pressed member states to better connect their markets, production capacity, investment channels and technology bases in pursuit of the organization's US$500 billion intra-D-8 trade target by 2030. Citing pressures from shifting global supply chains, the green transition and fast-moving technological change, he flagged three priorities going forward: industrial transformation through technology and innovation; investment and value-chain integration led by the private sector; and youth-focused skills and human-capital development.

Push for joint projects and stronger institutional tools

As concrete next steps, the Secretary-General called for joint industrial and investment initiatives in priority sectors, deeper technology-transfer cooperation, and stronger links between D-8 industries, SMEs, research bodies and the private sector to strengthen regional value chains. He also urged fuller use of existing D-8 mechanisms — including the D-8 NPRI and TTEN platforms for technology and innovation, the D-8 CCI for business linkages, and the proposed D-8 Halal Economy Cooperation Platform.

Malaysian experts detail investment and Halal-sector strategy

The webinar centered on four themes: industrial transformation under Malaysia's New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030); investment promotion and foreign direct investment attraction; export development and market access; and the Halal industry as a high-growth sector. Senior experts from MITI, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and the Halal Development Corporation (HDC) walked participants through the country's policy framework, covering everything from industrial upgrading strategies to building an integrated Halal ecosystem with global market access. Discussion also touched on artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing, digitalization and green technologies as tools for sharpening industrial competitiveness across the bloc.

Secretary-General calls for action over dialogue

Closing the session, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood thanked the Malaysian government — particularly MITI, MIDA, MATRADE and HDC — along with all speakers and participants, stressing the need to move "from dialogue to implementation" through new partnerships and measurable projects. Organizers said the webinar represented a further step in advancing the D-8 Decennial Roadmap 2020-2030, reinforcing efforts to build stronger industrial linkages and a more competitive economic space across the nine-member bloc.