Urban Visions: 17th July 2025 Theme: Business Beyond Borders: Global Partnerships for Success

Date: 17th July 2025 Venue: Haniffa Business School, MAHSA Avenue, Kuala Lumpur

Ts. Uma Shangery Aruldass

Urban Vision @ HBS, organised under SESSC by the Faculty of Business, Accounting & Finance, proudly featured Ts. Uma Shangery Aruldass, Continuing Airworthiness Manager at Asia Jet Sdn Bhd, for an engaging session titled “Business Beyond Borders: Global Partnerships for Success.”

Drawing from her global experience across 16 countries, Ts. Uma offered inspiring perspective perspective on how the space economy, international partnerships, and cross-border technological ecosystems are reshaping industries—not just on Earth, but in orbit.

Her presentation walked the audience through the Space Business Chain, the rise of small satellite industries, and Malaysia’s evolving role in the global space innovation landscape. She emphasized that “in space, there are no borders,”urging future leaders to act now by investing in partnerships, innovation, and sustainable practices.

She also highlighted critical challenges like space sustainability, orbital collisions, and the need for strategic readiness, emphasizing that Malaysia is well-positioned—already ahead of many regional peers in areas like small satellite technology and local innovation ecosystems. She encouraged continued investment and collaboration to maintain this competitive edge and expand Malaysia’s influence in the global space economy.

Ts. Uma captivated the audience with examples from real-world Malaysian ventures:

• Independence-X, developers of one of the world’s smallest functional satellites (~30mm), proudly Malaysian-made.

• SpaceIn, using small satellites and IoT for precision agriculture—allowing planters to monitor harvest readiness without mass manpower.

• Langit Kita Sdn Bhd, fostering space education among Malaysian youth.

• A Malaysian wireless charging startup, now a global partner with NASA—proof that homegrown innovation can reach global orbit.

She also introduced students to emerging business opportunities in space insurance, rideshare coordination, consultancy, and analog astronaut stations, encouraging participants to explore new verticals in the rapidly expanding commercial space sector.

Using strong visuals, real-time satellite trackers, and an actual 1:1 model of a Malaysian mini-satellite, she brought clarity to complex concepts. She explained how these small satellites, despite their size, can perform mission-critical tasks—at a fraction of the cost of conventional satellites—making them ideal for commercial use, research, and disaster management.

She closed with a message:

“Let’s lead. Let’s partner. Let’s build the future—beyond borders, beyond bias, and beyond Earth.”