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Chief Minister Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the Johor Talent Development Council will coordinate federal and state agencies, universities, and TVET institutions to ensure Johor has the skilled talent needed to support the project.
The Johor Tech Smart City is expected to generate about 10,000 job opportunities once completed, The Star reported, citing Chief Minister Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
According to the news report, the Chief Minister said the development, located within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, represents an important milestone in Johor’s push to become a developed state.
Speaking at the project’s launch on 12 June 2026 (Friday), he said the completed development would require a workforce of around 10,000 people. To support that need, Johor has set up the Johor Talent Development Council, which brings together federal and state agencies, universities, and technical and vocational education and training institutions.
The project is being developed by Genting Property and is expected to create roles across several fields, particularly artificial intelligence, smart agriculture, and research, The Star reported.
Chief Minister Datuk Onn Hafiz also said he hoped the project’s wider economic impact would benefit local small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“While welcoming Chinese companies to Johor as well as friends from Singapore, our SMEs cannot be left out,” he was quoted.
The Johor Tech Smart City is anticipated to span 930.8ha, or 2,300 acres, and will include an AgTech Campus and a Knowledge AI Campus. The development is designed as an ecosystem focused on future technologies, artificial intelligence, and food security.
Cited by The Star, The Johor Chief Minister stated the project aligns with the Maju Johor 2030 agenda, which aims to make Johor a regional hub for investment, technology, innovation and talent development.
“We are only at phase one of where we want to go,” he was quoted as saying. “Whether we enter phase two or achieve the great vision that we have will depend on what Johoreans decide in the weeks to come.”
Post the announcement, the Chief Minister took to Facebook to share his excitement towards the project. He shared that this project will not only attract more quality investment to the state, but also open up space for the development of local talent, technology transfer and strengthening of SMES to grow with the economy of the future.
"May this strategic collaboration be a catalyst to more high-income job opportunities, the development of local talent as well as the economic overflow that benefits the whole Nation of Johor. Insha-Allah."
Lead image / Johor Tech Smart City Facebook
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