SME AI Fest 2025 Inspires Innovation, Collaboration, And Readiness In The AI Era

Christopher Ng, SAMENTA Chairman for Digitalisation & AI Committee Giving a Welcome Remark at the SME AI Festival 2025

The SME AI Festival 2025 was launched recently at Dewan Produktiviti, Menara MATRADE, marking a significant push to embed artificial intelligence (AI) into the daily operations of Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Organised by the Small and Medium Enterprises Association of Malaysia (SAMENTA) in collaboration with the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC), the festival sets the stage for innovation, growth, and competitiveness in an increasingly AI-driven market.

Gathering SME leaders, government representatives, academia, and technology providers, the festival goes beyond awareness. It is a platform for mindset change.

SAMENTA National President Datuk William Ng stressed that AI is no longer optional, SMEs that do not adapt risk falling behind. The festival aims to demystify AI, making it accessible and practical for businesses of all sizes.

Attendees explored AI opportunities through three high-impact panel discussions covering Malaysia’s AI ecosystem, SME readiness, and strategies to scale with AI.

The panels featured experts from:
– National AI Office Malaysia.
– MyDigital Corporation
– MDEC.
– TalentCorp Malaysia.
– Microsoft Malaysia.
– Alibaba.

And other leading organisations.

The opening address by Sir Jaya Singnam Rajoo from the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry reinforced the government’s commitment to driving AI adoption across industries.

Another highlight was the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between SAMENTA and Asia Pacific University as well as Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) to boost AI talent development and strengthen industry-academia collaboration.

A standout feature of the festival was the SME AI Prompt Competition, designed to encourage SMEs to experiment with prompt engineering to solve real business challenges using AI tools. Participants took on three creative challenges:

• Visual Challenge – Design an AI-generated welcome for visiting aliens, showcasing unique Malaysian culture.

• Text Challenge – Write a heartfelt love letter between two unexpected entities, using AI to bring emotions to life.

• Pitch Challenge – Sell an unconventional product, such as durian-flavoured toothpaste, with AI-assisted research and presentation.

These challenges encouraged creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on AI application, skills that are increasingly valuable in the modern SME landscape.

With initiatives like SME AI Fest 2025, SAMENTA and MPC are future-proofing Malaysian SMEs by embedding digital tools into their business DNA, ensuring they stay competitive in both local and global markets.