Antwerp Belgium, 30 June 2025 - The Perak State Development Corporation (PKNPk) and Port of Antwerp-Bruges International (PoABI) have expressed their continued commitment to the strategic development of the Lumut Maritime Industrial City (LuMIC), positioning it as a globally competitive maritime industrial development area in Southeast Asia.

This announcement follows the LuMIC Development Sdn. Bhd. (LuMIC DevCo) Board of Directors meeting held in Antwerp this week, which brought together the two shareholders PKNPk and POABI to review progress and chart the next phase of implementation. PoABI continues to serve as PKNPk’s principal international strategic partner, contributing its global expertise in maritime infrastructure innovation, industrial development and smart logistics planning.

“PoABI has been instrumental in shaping the foundation of LuMIC’s long-term vision and master plan,” said Datuk Redza Rafiq, Chief Executive of PKNPk. “Our collaboration reflects a shared vision for creating a future-forward maritime gateway that brings real socio-economic impact to the people of Perak while positioning Malaysia on the international trade map.”

Since the formalisation of this strategic partnership in 2023 by the creation of LuMIC Development Sdn.Bhd, the PoABI–PKNPk collaboration has led to the completion of LuMIC’s comprehensive master plan, knowledge transfer engagements and investor outreach to global maritime players. This joint effort has laid the groundwork for LuMIC to evolve into a premier deep-sea industrial city designed with sustainability, resilience and regional competitiveness at its core and aligned with the EU-ASEAN Global Gateway strategy.

“We remain fully invested in the LuMIC agenda as a shareholder, be it as technical advisor but also as a long-term strategic collaborator in unlocking LuMIC’s full potential,” said Philippe Droesbeke, Board member of LuMIC DevCo, representing PoABI. “Our role is to help translate vision into actionable outcomes from concept to execution, ensuring LuMIC meets global standards while fostering inclusive local growth.”

“LuMIC is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build something transformative,” added Alex Staring, Chief Business Development Officer, LuMIC DevCo. “We are proud to work alongside PKNPk and PoABI in co-creating value to the State via a smart, green and scalable maritime city aligned with future trade flows and emerging industrial ecosystems.”

The LuMIC initiative is anchored under Perak Sejahtera 2030, the state’s long-term development roadmap and forms the core of its Flagship 13: Port and Maritime Hub programme. The project is expected to catalyse investment across supporting sectors, including energy, manufacturing, logistics and digital infrastructure.

The partnership continues to progress with strong alignment and shared purpose, with PoABI firmly at the helm of LuMIC’s global development strategy. As part of the Perak Menteri Besar’s official working visit to Europe in May 2025, PKNPk and PoABI engaged with several potential investors who expressed interest in exploring opportunities within LuMIC. Building on these discussions, three of the interested parties have since conducted a preliminary site visit to assess the project’s industrial readiness and strategic appeal. In conjunction with this week’s LuMIC DevCo Board meeting in Antwerp, the PKNPk delegation also held follow-up meetings with several potential investors to further explore collaboration opportunities. These engagements reflect growing international confidence in LuMIC’s long-term vision and further underscore PoABI’s vital role as a gateway to European industrial partnerships.

Further project updates and investment engagement activities will be announced in due course.