The Story of IA-Community

The Story of IA-Community

In 1988, Dr (h.c.) Benny Yeo started his journey promoting various industrial publications, including electrical, electronics, semiconductors, machineries, and industrial equipment. However, in 1997 he saw a growing demand for a platform that could bring together players in the industrial automation industry. Undeterred, he began publishing the Industrial Automation Annual Directory, quickly establishing it as the leading industrial automation media in Southeast Asia.

Realizing that a community was essential to promote the industry, Dr Yeo founded the IA-Community. The support of the industry was overwhelming, leading to his appointment as Deputy Chairman of the Automation Technology Industry Group (ATIG) in the Singapore Confederation of Industries. This was just the beginning of his mission to promote industrial automation to the manufacturing sectors.

In year 2003, Dr Benny Yeo was invited by the Late Tan Sri' Zainal Abidin Sulong, Chairman of Malaysia Industrial Development Authority (MIDA), into Malaysia. He quickly brought the industrial automation industry together to establish the Automation Technology Industry Group under the aegis of Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), which is currently known as the Malaysia Automation Technology Association (MATA).

Over the years, Dr Yeo organized countless networking events such as the Industrial Automation Meet & Mingle Session, trade missions, factory visits, bowling tournaments, and many others. He also organized the Industrial Automation Summit, which saw the participation of senior government officials from the Southeast Asia region.

In year 2008, IA-Community organized the IA Nite 2008, a prestigious dinner event attended by more than 1,000 attendees, including Guest-of-Honour Deputy Minister of Science, Technology And Innovation, Datuk Seri' Fadilah Bin Yusof, who is now the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia II, and numerous senior officials from various ministries and government agencies from the Southeast Asia region, representatives from embassies and associations, industry leaders, and more. This event served as a platform for industry leaders and experts to share insights and discuss the latest trends in the industrial automation sector.

But Dr Yeo didn't stop there. He created the IA-Community Machine Builders' Village, an innovative exhibition concept that showcased the latest machines and technologies. He also introduced the IA-Community Procurement Forecast, an event that brought in top players from systems integrators and machine builders to give a forecast of their purchasing interests for the next few months.

Thanks to Dr Yeo's relentless efforts, IA-Community has played an essential role in building a cohesive environment in the industrial automation sector. Today, it continues to pave the way for the industry's growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.