Intuitive said the investment reflects its continued confidence in the Asia Pacific market.
The 316,000-square-foot facility is expected to begin operations in 2028 and create 1,200 highly skilled jobs by 2032. The site will manufacture Intuitive’s surgical instruments and electromechanical devices used with the da Vinci surgical system, expanding the company’s global manufacturing footprint to support the increasing demand across Asia Pacific.
“Asia Pacific represents one of the most exciting growth opportunities for robotic-assisted surgery,” said Glenn Vavoso, SVP and president of Asia Pacific, Intuitive. “This investment demonstrates our long-term commitment to the region, and further strengthens our ability to deliver the innovation, quality, and reliability our customers expect. Ultimately, it will help expand access to robotic-assisted surgery for more patients in the region.”
Since entering Asia Pacific more than two decades ago, Intuitive’s da Vinci surgical systems have enabled surgeons to treat more than 2.5 million patients across 13 markets in the region, the company said.
“Expanding our global manufacturing network requires thoughtful, long-term investments that enable us to scale while maintaining the operational excellence that defines Intuitive,” said Mark Brosius, EVP, chief manufacturing and supply chain officer for Intuitive. “This new facility will become an integral part of our global manufacturing operations, helping us consistently deliver the high-quality, innovative products our customers and patients depend on.”
The investment also marks another milestone in Penang’s continued efforts to attract high-value manufacturing and innovation-driven industries.
The Right Honorable Chow Kon Yew, chief minister of Penang said, “Intuitive’s investment reflects the confidence that global industry leaders have in Penang’s mature industrial ecosystem, highly skilled workforce and proven manufacturing excellence. It further strengthens our growing MedTech ecosystem and reinforces Penang’s position as a preferred destination for advanced medical technology manufacturing. We are confident that investments such as this will accelerate our ambition to become the leading MedTech hub in Southeast Asia.”
This announcement comes as many medtech companies seek to diversify their supply chains, in part because of the Trump administration’s tariffs.
Many of Intuitive’s surgical instruments are made at its manufacturing plant in Mexicali, Mexico, exposing the company to high tariffs.
