The i-City development project here has the first such campus and it is the flagship. As part of the programme, the campus must host a state-sponsored technopreneurial incubator.

So i-City and the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS), as well as PlugandPlayTech Center, are jointly setting up the i-City PlugandPlayTechCenter Incubator.

PlugandPlayTechCenter is a Silicon Valley-based community of more 280 technology startup companies in the areas of Web 2.0, software-as-a-service systems, semiconductor and telecoms verticals.

The US company is also considering investing in the technopreneur companies participating in this incubator programme, as well as to be a bridge for them to the US market and US venture capital funds.

i-Berhad, which is developing i-City, said there are opportunities for Malaysians to form joint ventures with the tech companies in PlugandPlayTechCentre’s Silicon Valley campus to localise their products and services for the regional market.

For a start

In the initial phase, the Selangor state government through its agencies will invest a total of RM50mil in a number of technopreneur companies under the i-City PnP Incubator programme.

The incubator will also be working with the Multimedia Development Corporation, which is guardian of the country’s MSC Malaysia initiative, and several Malaysian technopreneurial associations. This is to ensure the incubation programme meets with local technopreneur needs.

The facility will initially occupy a 2,000sq ft space at the i-City Cybercentre Suite 1 Complex and will be relocated to a dedicated building when the structure is completed in two years.

i-City PnP Incubator has also established a business services group to provide administrative, secretarial and legal facilities to the technopreneur companies.

A mentor panel, comprising experienced business leaders, to coach and guide these technopreneurs is also in place.

Choice pickings

In the first half of this year, 10 to 15 companies will be identified for nurturing. The initial selection will focus on those developing solutions for digital cities, mobile content, or products and services for property and construction related sectors.

Moving into the second half of the year, there will be an opportunity for 20 to 30 potential individuals desiring to be technopreneurs.

i-City PnP Incubator’s role in this phase will be to link these individuals with the relevant resources to enable them to move beyond the concept stage and into developing prototypes.

It is envisaged that this will take about two to three years to move each technopreneur company from the initial concept stage to the growth stage, and so by the end of 2011, i-City PnP Incubator will be hosting about 50 companies every year.

When announcing the incubator programme last week, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim also said the state government has conferred International Park-status on i-City.

This means i-City can have entertainment and cosmopolitan lifestyle outlets, and that these facilities can operate round the clock.

At the same time, the state government is also accelerating construction of the direct access to i-City from the Federal Highway.

Both these efforts will help ensure the success of the i-City PnP Incubator programme, i-Berhad said.