Meraque bags ASEAN award at Global Youth Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition in Shandong

• Offered partnership by Shandong govt to establish a manufacturing facility in China
• Claims to have the largest market share for drone spraying services in Malaysia

Meraque Group, a Malaysian company that delivers Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and robotic technologies solutions, announced it won the Global Youth award at the Global Youth Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition in Shandong, China. The Foreign Affairs Office of Shandong organised the competition from 7 to 8 July 2023 in conjunction with the Global Youth Conference 2023. 

Meraque was the only company representing Malaysia and went head-to-head with representatives from various countries.

Md Razalee Ismail (Lee), CEO of Meraque, pitched to a panel of judges on 7 June and emerged as the winner of the ASEAN chapter. The pitched solutions included Meraque’s UAVs and Autonomous Ground Vehicles (AGVs) products and solutions.

Lee said, “We are truly honoured to be selected to receive such a prestigious award and to put Malaysia on the map. Last year, we laid out plans to strengthen our technological capabilities to amplify our global expansion efforts, and are making great strides. We have since increased our technology application line and software-as-a-service offerings, allowing us to cater to various industries - from agriculture to telecommunication.”

One of the AGVs highlighted was the Robotic Agro in Complex Environment (RACE) which Meraque claims as the first-ever Malaysian AGV. It was developed with a high-power computing module in the control system to reduce reliance on manpower and improve fertiliser spraying consistency in oil palm plantation fields as demanded by clients.

As a result of Meraque’s performance in Shandong, it was offered a partnership that will see the establishment of Meraque’s manufacturing facility in the province. The manufacturing facility will produce selected Meraque technological products, including UAVs and AGVs. These products will not only cater to the Chinese market but will also serve global markets. Meraque is currently finalising the terms of the partnership.

Meraque claims that it holds the largest market share for drone spraying services in Malaysia. It aims to generate 1,000 jobs globally and envisions creating an economic impact of US$20 million (RM90 million) over the next five years through local and export revenues.

Meraque was named a Top 20 best drone technology service provider worldwide in 2021 by Drone Industry Insights, a Market Research consultant based in Germany.