Cisco has announced new partnerships with Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) and Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) as part of its Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) programme, focusing on boosting artificial intelligence (AI) innovation in Malaysia.

Cisco, a global leader in technology, shared that its CDA initiative, which operates in 50 countries, is aimed at enhancing economic resilience and promoting social inclusion through digital transformation.

The partnership with TM will assist the National Digital Department in modernising Malaysia's digital infrastructure. Meanwhile, Cisco's collaboration with PNB will enable PNB's new office to be equipped with AI-powered networking, Internet of Things and security technologies, supporting their innovation lab, network operations centre and collaboration spaces.

Cisco also revealed a partnership with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia to launch an AI hackathon, aimed at addressing the AI skills gap in Malaysia. The hackathon will provide engineering and computer science students from universities across the country with hands-on experience in AI and the opportunity to develop solutions that could transform educational experiences.

"These solutions could potentially transform education by personalising learning experiences and automating administrative tasks for staff," Cisco said.

Additionally, Cisco has partnered with MyDIGITAL Corporation on an Executive Digital Leadership programme designed to equip C-suite executives from both the public and private sectors with knowledge on effectively integrating advanced technologies within their organisations.