KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — The KL20 Summit will expand beyond the capital this year, with events scheduled in Penang, Johor and Kuala Lumpur as Putrajaya seeks to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems while advancing its ambition of making Malaysia a leading startup hub.

Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the summit will be held as a three-city series, beginning in Penang on Sept 24, followed by Johor on Sept 29, before culminating in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 5.

“KL20 2026 will be held across three strategic locations — Penang, Johor and Kuala Lumpur — in collaboration with key strategic partners including Khazanah Nasional Berhad, KWAP, NCIA and IRDA.

“In addition, Cradle, MRANTI, MDEC, CREST, InvestPenang, SIDEC, state governments and other industry partners will play important roles in ensuring the success of KL20 2026. This year’s programme will adopt a more focused approach centred on discussions and strategic matchmaking to deliver actionable outcomes,” he said during the pre-launch of the KL20 Summit 2026 today.

The Penang edition, themed Silicon Surge, will focus on the semiconductor and electrical and electronics (E&E) sectors.

“The programme will leverage Penang’s industrial strengths to reinforce Malaysia’s position as a regional hub for chip design and high-value technology,” he said.

Johor’s edition, themed Creative Reimagined, will focus on the creative economy and digital gaming industry, with the government looking to capitalise on opportunities created by the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) to develop animation, visual effects, gaming, digital content and creative technology.

The Kuala Lumpur finale will bring together startups, investors, policymakers and industry players to discuss opportunities across all eight priority sectors identified under KL20.

Akmal said participation this year would be by invitation only, unlike the inaugural summit in 2024, with organisers seeking deeper discussions and more meaningful business collaborations among startups, investors and ecosystem players.

KL20 2026 carries the theme Activating Malaysia’s Tech Arsenal: An Open Ecosystem, A Focused Mission.

The government has also expanded the initiative’s focus from four sectors in 2024 to eight this year.

In addition to green technology, agricultural technology, manufacturing and automation, and Islamic finance, KL20 2026 will also cover the creative economy, digital economy, digital gaming and the third sector.

Akmal said the expansion aligns with the goals of the 13th Malaysia Plan to develop higher-value industries and increase the number of products and services that are “Made by Malaysia”.

He said the government’s ambition is to position Kuala Lumpur among the world’s top 20 startup ecosystems by 2030, although success would ultimately be measured by tangible outcomes rather than rankings alone.

“We do not want Malaysia to be merely a market where technology is sold. We want Malaysia to be a country where technology is built, financed, tested and scaled,” he said.

He added that KL20 2026 would be judged on four key outcomes, including attracting more investment commitments, venture capital and technology talent, strengthening links between state innovation ecosystems, and improving startups’ access to funding, markets and eventual public listings.