SICPA APAC Center Marks 10 Years in Malaysia, Strengthening National Sovereignty through Secure Digital Innovation

CYBERJAYA, Malaysia, Oct. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, Malaysia ranked 34th out of 139 countries — one of the highest positions in Southeast Asia. Coinciding with this national milestone, SICPA, the global leader in authentication, identification, and secure traceability solutions, celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Asia Pacific Center of Excellence in Cyberjaya underscoring Malaysia's growing role as a regional hub for secure digital innovation as well as its determination to transform innovation into tangible economic outcomes through collaboration between government, academia, and industry.

SICPA's Asia Pacific Center of Excellence: A Decade of Innovation in Cyberjaya

SICPA's Asia Pacific Center of Excellence in Cyberjaya, established in 2015 and now marking its 10th anniversary, stands at the heart of this innovation ecosystem. One of only five such centers worldwide, the Cyberjaya facility is a cornerstone of SICPA's global innovation strategy in phygital (physical-digital) security technologies that protect national revenues, combat illicit trade, and ensure product authenticity.

Over the past decade, the center has become a key innovation hub for conceiving and deploying advanced Secure Track & Trace systems and Digital Authentication solutions — now widely implemented across the world. These technologies have enabled governments globally to safeguard excise revenue, secure supply chains, and protect consumers from counterfeit products.

AI-Driven Solutions Reinforcing Sovereignty

When talking about innovation in 2025, Artificial Intelligence naturally takes center stage. To effectively address the complexities of illicit trade, it is indispensable to leverage advanced digital technologies powered by Artificial Intelligence in combination with material security features used in security documents and banknotes. In this context, the work carried out by SICPA researchers directly benefits client countries in excisable goods—such as spirits, wine, soft drinks and tobacco for example. The underlying objective remains consistent: to reinforce national confidence and sovereignty, combat the shadow economy, and protect consumers and licit industries against counterfeited products, and governments from health risks and illicit trade.

Malaysia is one prime example, where the recently launched SICPA's new technology module Digital Market Intelligence enables the detection of recurring fraud patterns. By combining material based secure coding and advanced AI analytics, the module processes large amounts of data and provides actionable intelligence that helps authorities target high-risk areas and strategically deploy their personnel to intervene more strategically and effectively at critical hot spots. Furthermore, judicial enforcement is reinforced by forensic capabilities enabled through banknote grade security features. This combination of innovations has led the authority to maintain record-breaking tax collections month after month.

Empowering Local Talent, Driving Global Impact

Beyond technology, SICPA's Cyberjaya center serves as a regional talent engine, housing over 120 professionals from 18 countries and nurturing Malaysia's next generation of security and digital innovation specialists. The center spearheads the development of secure mobile applications for product authentication, empowering both consumers and regulators to verify goods and combat counterfeiting.

Championing Malaysia's Innovation Leadership

"As Malaysia continues to climb the ranks of the Global Innovation Index, our mission at SICPA is to strengthen the nation's innovation capacity, sovereignty, and security," said a local SICPA spokesperson. "The Asia Pacific Center of Excellence in Cyberjaya exemplifies how global expertise and local innovation can combine to deliver trusted solutions that protect economies and empower nations."

SICPA's continued investment in Malaysia reflects its long-term commitment to supporting the government's Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL) and advancing regional innovation capabilities from Malaysia to the world.

About SICPA

Headquartered in Switzerland and approaching its centenary, SICPA is a global technology leader in authentication, identification, and secure traceability. The company protects the majority of the world's banknotes and develops cutting-edge solutions that enable governments, industries, and citizens to authenticate and guarantee the integrity of products and public services. In Malaysia, SICPA's technologies support authorities in ensuring tax integrity, product authenticity, and consumer trust.

SOURCE SICPA