Christian Daugbjerg, General Manager of Demant Technology & Innovation Centre, talks about the company’s strategic decision to set up its first R&D facility outside Europe in Greater Kuala Lumpur (Greater KL), and the significant role InvestKL plays in facilitating this move.
A leading hearing healthcare and technology group, Demant was founded in 1904. Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark – Demant has been at the forefront of innovation in its field with products sold in over 130 countries.
In 2023, Demant inaugurated its Technology and Innovation Centre at Mid Valley City in Greater KL. This is the third of its kind in the world – after Copenhagen and Warsaw, Poland – and marks the company’s first such venture outside of Europe. Christian Daugbjerg, Demant’s General Manager for the Centre, attributes this strategic expansion to several key advantages offered by Greater KL:
✔️ A centralised location
✔️ Available talent in the tech sector
✔️ Access to people fluent in multiple languages
✔️ Multicultural diversity
✔️ Strong government support for new businesses
“Demant is active and engaged and offers innovative technologies, solutions and know-how in every aspect, from hearing care, hearing aids to diagnostic equipment and services, which help improve people’s health and hearing.
Demant Group is constantly trying to seek solutions to challenges related to hearing loss and help people live an engaged life. For instance, the brands in the Demant Group have recently launched a unique set of hearing aids that can provide personalised support for the users’ listening needs. They have also developed a hearing test that investigates how well users are able to listen in noisy environments.
The Asia-Pacific market is an increasingly important one for Demant. It has an ageing population which the company believes will contribute to growth in the region. In 2023, Demant witnessed an organic growth of 24% in the Asia market – the highest in the group.” said Daugbjerg.
A Legacy of Innovation: Demant in Greater KL
The company anticipates continued positive growth in the region, with its strategic location in Greater KL set to play a critical role. The decision to establish the Technology and Innovation Centre in Greater KL followed a rigorous selection process that evaluated numerous global sites.
Greater KL stood out due to several distinct advantages, including its central location within the region, convenient travel connections, and strong availability of diverse language skills, crucial for market development across the region. These factors collectively made Greater KL an ideal choice for Demant’s new R&D facility, enabling the company to leverage local strengths to enhance its global operations.
“In addition, it also excels in factors such as the availability of talent in the tech sector, the multicultural diversity of the country and government support for setting up new businesses. We are very happy with our choice.” Daugbjerg commented.
As a new establishment in Greater KL, Demant’s current focus is on building foundational teams and skills to establish the right framework. In the future, Demant plans to actively partner with both academic institutions and various industry partners. Their diagnostics products have already been in use for many years in and around Malaysia, and the goal is to leverage this presence by bringing the development team closer to where the products are utilised.
“Setting up in any new country can be a challenge, and so I would like to thank InvestKL and the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) for their assistance. They have been great at facilitating meetings, recommending contacts and local businesses and guiding us through the various legal and government processes that are required to start a setup like us. Without them, we would not have been able to get up and running with this many people onboard in such a short time.”
Demant actively supports the UN Sustainability Goals and contributes to its success by integrating these principles into their core businesses. Their primary focuses are on SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 4 – Quality Education, SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production.
“At the same time, we also pay particular attention to SDG 5 – Gender Equality, SDG 13 – Climate Action, and SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Gender Equality is especially a key focus for us in Greater KL, and we are working to bring more women into leadership positions and enable them to excel in technology & innovation space. This aligns with the multicultural and inclusive ethos of Greater KL, reinforcing our commitment to a diverse and equitable workplace.
On a personal note, I am looking forward to exploring Malaysia more as I have only moved here last year when we started operations in Greater KL. However, I am not unfamiliar with the Asia Pacific region, as I have been living and working here for almost 20 years as part of our Global IT team.”
