KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 – Next month’s Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2023 will be a curtain raiser for the development of the defence and commercial industries in Asia, particularly in the aerospace sector post-COVID-19 pandemic.
Alpine Integrated Solution Sdn Bhd managing director Anita Jacobson said LIMA 2023 is an opportunity for Malaysia to contribute to the sector’s market because 60 per cent of the exhibitors are from the aerospace sector. Alpine is a LIMA 2023 organiser.
“There will be a lot of B2B (business-to-business) meetings because people have not been able to meet after COVID-19. Although we think that the pandemic is over, we are, in fact, just recovering.
“I called it a post-post-COVID and LIMA 2023 will be a curtain raiser because this event is not only for business in this country, but it is also a platform to serve the regional market.
“We have also invited about 400 VVIPs from all over Asia to attend, including the defence and transport ministers and heads of defence and security agencies; via the LIMA 2023 platform, (they will be able) to talk about the business for the region,” she said in an exclusive interview with Bernama.
Jacobson also said that Alpine and its strategic partners will set up a B2B meeting platform for local and international exhibitors. About 1,000 meetings have been targeted.
“The exhibitors themselves are considered as (potential) business partners as local and international exhibitors will meet and discuss partnerships. Therefore, that is one group that our (strategic) partners (arranging the B2B meetings) will try to find during LIMA 2023.
“Both are trade visitors who come to meet local and international exhibitors to discuss business matters, but we will not stop there. We will follow up after the meeting to do a survey interview, analysis and report on the success rate,” she said.
LIMA 2023 will be held from May 23 to 27 with the theme The Nexus of Asia’s Maritime and Aerospace Trade.
The last time the biennial exhibition was organised was in 2019 and the 2021 edition was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
LIMA 2023 involves the Defence Ministry (Maritime and Aerospace Defence Industry) and the Transport Ministry (Maritime and Aerospace Commercial Industry).