A research team from the University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) has played a pivotal role in the development of the Global Business Services (GBS) Malaysia Strategy Mid-Term Report 2022-2027, launched at the GBS ASEAN Summit 2025 under the theme “GBS 5.0: Human-Centric, AI-Driven, Impact-Focused.” The report marks a key milestone in Malaysia’s ambition to become a high-value digital global business services hub.
The UNM team was led by Dr Mandy Sim, Associate Professor at the Institute of Work, Organisation and Wellbeing (IWOW), who also hosted the Fireside Chat: Unleashing GBS 5.0: Mid Term Reflections, Future Directions with Mr Anuar Fariz Fadzil (CEO of MDEC), Mr Antony Raja Devadoss (GBS Malaysia Chair and Country Managing Director of Korn Ferry), and Mr. Raymond Davadass (GBS Malaysia Research Chair, and Founder & CEO of Daythree Digital Berhad).
The research team included Dr Anthony Beh, Assistant Professor at IWOW, Ms Jeanette Lim, Assistant Professor Nottingham University Business School Malaysia, and Ms Sharifah Shaliza, Research Associate at IWOW. Their contributions focused on workforce transformation, the digital economy, Malaysia’s infrastructure readiness, government support, digital leadership, regulatory improvement, and ecosystem development—key drivers of Malaysia’s GBS success story
Since the launch of the GBS Malaysia Strategy in 2022, the industry has seen extraordinary growth. The number of GBS companies has expanded from 449 in 2021 to 749 in mid-2025, with investment inflows rising 13.5 times—from RM0.73 billion in 2021 to RM9.87 billion in 2024. The sector has generated over 36,600 new jobs, accounting for 35% of all jobs created by Malaysia Digital (MD) companies since 2021, and GBS revenue is projected to reach RM28.14 billion in 2025.
This momentum reflects Malaysia’s strong foundation in digital infrastructure, governance, and talent. As Minister of Digital, Gobind Singh Deo, noted during the report launch, “The ministry is fully committed to supporting and facilitating growth through enabling policies, digital infrastructure, and public-private partnerships. Our strategy rests on three pillars: world-class digital infrastructure, robust trust frameworks in data and cybersecurity, and future-ready talent.”
Malaysia’s digital competitiveness and innovation ecosystem are internationally recognised—the country continues to rank 3rd globally in the Global Services Location Index and among the top three in ASEAN for digital competitiveness, innovation, and investment confidence.
According to Raymond Davadass, Research Chair of GBS Malaysia, “Our success will depend on how effectively we integrate technology, knowledge, and human capital into one cohesive, future-ready ecosystem.”
The GBS Malaysia Report reflects precisely this vision—linking technological advancement with human-centric policy and workforce transformation.
Malaysia’s regional diversification has also strengthened with Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang functioning as advanced GBS hubs; while Johor continues as an advancing hub; and Perak, Pahang, Sabah, and Sarawak as emerging hubs. National talent programmes such as MD Workforce, GLOW, MyDigitalMaker, and MyMahir are equipping Malaysians with essential digital and analytical skills.
Anthony Raja Devadoss, Chairman of GBS Malaysia, added, “GBS Malaysia’s mission is clear – to position Malaysia as ASEAN’s strategic GBS hub, powered by innovation, talent, and purpose. This Summit provides the perfect platform for ideas to turn into action and the Awards, to celebrate excellence and innovation in the industry.”
Reflecting on UNM’s contribution, Dr Mandy Sim said:
“Our collaboration in this report reflects UNM’s commitment to bridging academic research with industry transformation. It’s a testament to how research-informed insights can shape national strategies and strengthen Malaysia’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.”
“We would also like to express our appreciation for the support from the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, Professor Hazel Melanie Ramos, signatory of the UNM-PIKOM Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),” said Dr Sim. “Her leadership has enhanced the teaching and learning experience for UNM students and faculty through exposure to industry partnerships, while laying the foundation for these collaborations to grow into impactful, industry-funded research.”
The Summit culminated in a high-impact day of regional collaboration and thought leadership, concluding with the GBS ASEAN Awards 2025, which honoured 58 outstanding winners—28 individuals and 30 corporations—for their excellence and leadership across the regional GBS ecosystem. The ceremony, graced by MA Sivanesan, Deputy Secretary General (Digital Development) of the Ministry of Digital, celebrated the sector’s strength, innovation, and contribution to ASEAN’s digital economy. Dr Mandy Sim also served as one of 14 judges, evaluating both individual and corporate award categories.
The UNM research team expressed their gratitude to Dr Michael Mustafa, Head of IWOW, for his guidance and leadership, and to Dr Chung Kai Li, Head of School, under whose leadership IWOW has recently been restructured to strengthen interdisciplinary research and industry engagement.
The GBS Malaysia Report concludes with a roadmap to sustain Malaysia’s continued leadership and value proposition—implementing targeted “Skills Sprint” initiatives in AI and analytics, accelerating digital readiness in regional hubs, and establishing a GBS Transformation Council to strengthen ecosystem collaboration. The strategy aims to reimagine GBS for the future, increase global competitiveness, unlock new market opportunities, and drive Malaysia toward high-value and inclusive GBS growth.
UNM’s involvement underscores the University’s ongoing role in advancing Malaysia’s digital economy agenda, demonstrating how academic research can create real-world impact through policy influence, industry partnership, and workforce transformation.
Posted on 13th November 2025