Recognition brings the company a total of four Lighthouse designations as global advanced factory for its breakthroughs in scaling Fourth Industrial Revolution

Penang, 15 January 2025 — Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the World Economic Forum has named Agilent’s smart factory in Penang, Malaysia as a Global Lighthouse Network, a community of 189 industry leaders leading the way in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in advanced manufacturing. Agilent is the second factory in Malaysia and the sole analytical and clinical laboratory technology company worldwide to be recognized by the Forum.

This recognition marks Agilent’s fourth lighthouse for its breakthroughs in scaling AI, 3D printing, robotics, big-data analytics, and industrial internet of things (IIoT). Since 2022, three of Agilent’s manufacturing sites – Singapore, Waldbronn, Germany, and Shanghai, China – have earned this prestigious distinction.

“This important milestone showcases Agilent’s leadership in building factories of the future by integrating advanced digital technologies across our end-to-end operations,” said Agilent CEO Padraig McDonnell. “Our factories of the future not only elevate our customers’ experiences and exceed their expectations, but they also continuously develop our future workforce.”

Agilent Penang implements game-changing AI-assisted 3D-printing technology to automate material configuration, optimize printing of highly customized components, simulate scheduling, and minimize waste. By integrating AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics into additive manufacturing, the factory reshaped a capacity-saturated site into a digital operation with real-time quality monitoring and predictive insights for smarter, more agile production capabilities.

As a result, the site has improved productivity by 40%, manufacturing cost by 32% and delivery lead time by 48%. At the heart of this transformation is a digital training program that upskilled 88% of the local workforce. Tapping into 4IR technologies, Agilent Penang successfully built resilient value chain ecosystems capable of quick response to evolving market demands, positioning Malaysia as a beacon of innovation.

“As Penang aims to accelerating AI revolution, Agilent’s smart factory is perfectly aligned with our goal. The remarkable advancements in technology today empower businesses to reach unprecedented heights, offering solutions that drive productivity and innovation. The recognition of Agilent Penang as one of the Lighthouses stands as a remarkable milestone to its forward-thinking strategies, and highlights Penang’s capability to support 4IR, setting a benchmark for building resilient, future-ready industries,” said the Right Honorable Mr. Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang.

For more than 25 years, Agilent has been investing in Malaysia and has grown to over 650 skilled scientists, engineers and employees. Today, the 200,000 sq ft facility at the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone manufactures key products for Agilent’s spectroscopy line, diagnostics and genomics group, and vacuum pump division. As one of Agilent’s global strategic hub, it houses a Global Instrument Design Center and a Biochemical Safety and Reliability Lab working for projects worldwide.

– END –

About the Global Lighthouse Network
Launched in 2018, the Global Lighthouse Network brings together and celebrates the success of the world’s leading industrial sites which achieved exceptional performance in productivity, supply chain resilience, customer centricity, sustainability and talent. This global community of influential innovators, deploying over 1,000 solutions in multiple industries, includes 189 sites, 25 of which are Sustainability Lighthouses. The network now spans over 30 countries and 35 sectors. The initiative was co-founded by the World Economic Forum and Mckinsey & Company. Learn more at WEForum.org.

About InvestPenang
InvestPenang is the Penang State Government’s principal agency for the promotion of investment. Its objectives are to develop and sustain Penang’s economy by enhancing and continuously supporting business activities in the State through foreign and local investments, including spawning viable new growth centers. To realise its objectives, InvestPenang also runs initiatives like the SMART Penang Center (providing assistance to SMEs), Penang CAT Center (for talent attraction and retention), and Global Business Services (GBS) Focus Group (promoting and developing digital economy) and Penang Silicon Design @5km+ (establishing a unique and interconnected ecosystem for IC design and technology enterprises). For more information, please visit https://investpenang.gov.my/ and follow InvestPenang’s social media channels: Facebook; LinkedIn; WhatsApp Channel and TikTok.

About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is a global leader in analytical and clinical laboratory technologies, delivering insights and innovation that help our customers bring great science to life. Agilent’s full range of solutions includes instruments, software, services, and expertise that provide trusted answers to our customers’ most challenging questions. The company generated revenue of $6.51 billion in fiscal year 2024 and employs approximately 18,000 people worldwide. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com. To receive the latest Agilent news, subscribe to the Agilent Newsroom. Follow Agilent on LinkedIn and Facebook.

For Information

InvestPenang
Communications & Business Intelligence
Elaine Cheah / Arief Ferdaus
T: +604-646 8833
E: elaine@investpenang.gov.my / arief@investpenang.gov.my

Agilent Technologies
Media Relations, South Asia Pacific & Korea
Grace Thong
T: +65 9688 2152
E: grace.thong@agilent.com