SIHAT AI and STEM AI Talent Take the Spotlight at Perak's First State Innovation Convention

Perak marked a milestone on 6 October 2026 with the first-ever Perak Darul Ridzuan State Innovation Convention 2026, held at Stadium Indera Mulia in Ipoh. The convention brought together 60 exhibitors, along with civil servants, educational institutions, industry players and the local community. Among its highlights were two initiatives that show how Digital Perak is using artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit the people: the SIHAT AI Smart Health Kiosk, and a new partnership to build STEM and AI talent across the state.

SIHAT AI had its own booth at the convention. It showcased the SIHAT AI Smart Health Kiosk, developed through the strategic collaboration between Digital Perak and technology partner COEXRT AI, Malaysia's Centre of Excellence for Extended Reality and Artificial Intelligence. Perak became the first state government in Malaysia to launch the kiosk, an AI-driven initiative that strengthens early detection of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. The kiosk is designed as a self-service health screening point. It brings together smart technology and medical expertise so the public can get a health assessment quickly and easily, for free, without needing to visit a hospital.

The kiosk was first launched on 6 July 2026 at the Perak Techno Trade Centre (PTTC) in Ipoh by Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Saarani Mohamad, as part of a six-month pilot project. The pilot is also helping the state assess the kiosk's impact on healthcare costs and identify suitable locations for future kiosks. The initiative has since drawn wider interest. Digital Perak has worked with the Perak State Health Department and COEXRT AI to refine its direction, and a delegation from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) visited to explore expanding the kiosk as a workplace digital health solution. More than a screening kiosk, SIHAT AI is the foundation for a network of Smart Health Nodes. In future, these could use data and analytics to support healthcare planning and community well-being in Perak.

Talent development was the convention's other major focus. Digital Perak signed a three-year strategic partnership with Spark Capital Development Berhad (SCDB), witnessed by YB Teh Kok Lim, Chairman of the State Science, Environment and Green Technology Committee. Backed by a commitment of up to RM7.5 million, the partnership will set up a STEM AI Hub at Digital Perak's Innovation & Multimedia Hub (HiM) in Meru Raya, Ipoh. The hub will serve as the state's reference centre for STEM AI training and certification, supported by three satellite centres in the districts.

The partnership starts with educators: 100 teachers will be trained through the STEM AI Digital Educator Pilot Programme. In the long run, it aims to produce 1,000 master trainers and 300 AI-skilled TVET instructors, and to introduce 30,000 students to STEM and AI through school modules and an annual Perak STEM AI Innovation Challenge.

Together, SIHAT AI and the SCDB partnership show two sides of Perak's AI journey. One puts AI to work for the people today through accessible, preventive healthcare. The other builds the talent needed to create the next generation of homegrown innovations. Both reflect the state's commitment to the Perak Sejahtera 2030 agenda and its goal of becoming a smart, digitally driven state.