V3D Asia Ltd. has set up Nuvah Sdn Bhd as its Malaysian branch to create the country’s first locally made 3D construction printing company.
The printing platform is designed in Japan, while the skilled workers, materials, engineering, and quality checks needed for local use are developed in Malaysia. Nuvah is partnering with CIDB to get 3D construction printing recognized as a new method within Malaysia’s Industrialised Building System (IBS). This would add to the six current construction methods listed, as the government has raised the minimum IBS Score to 70 for qualifying private projects starting July 2024, with CIDB managing the implementation. More than 300 IBS manufacturers are already registered. In June 2026, the company also announced a partnership with SIRIM to help create the country’s first standards for 3D construction printing.
“Malaysia’s opportunity in 3D construction printing will not be built by machines alone. Any country can buy a printer. What is far harder, and far more valuable, is a workforce that understands the technology, the materials, and the craftsmanship behind it,” said Mr Kazuhiro Ono, Group Chairman of V3D Asia.
“Our ambition is not to sell equipment into Malaysia. It is to build the industry here – the printers, the homes and, above all, the people. If we do that properly, Malaysia will not be a customer for this technology in ten years’ time. It will be the region’s supplier of it.”
That ambition also includes the people who will carry it forward. Recently, V3D Asia made an agreement with Sunway University to put a V3D construction printer on campus, allowing engineering students to get hands-on experience with the technology. They are also working with Universiti Malaya because Mr. Ono believes that to improve the industry, training must start in schools and not just on job sites.
Nuvah is making progress as well. The company has already launched a pilot project with the Government of Brunei and is now working to use 3D construction printing in regular home, commercial, and infrastructure projects. They combine this technology with a Quiet Luxury design and prefer to partner with established Malaysian builders instead of competing against them. The next big step is the Concave House in Eco Majestic, which will be Malaysia’s first luxury bungalow made with 3D printing. Construction is set to begin in November 2026, followed by a project of 12 villas in Bali, Indonesia, aimed for completion by December 2027. This plan addresses a real issue in the industry: about 70–80% of Malaysia’s construction workers are foreign, and contractors are facing a shortage of workers, especially as hiring rules have become stricter. This situation makes automated methods essential rather than just interesting.
Certification is key to this change. Getting approval allows 3D construction printing to be included in project bids, financed by lenders, insured by underwriters, and widely used by developers. Once the process is validated for Malaysia, it can also be applied to similar markets in the ASEAN region.
“This is just the beginning. What we build in Malaysia today is the foundation for what the region builds tomorrow,” said Mr Kazuhiro.
For more information on Nuvah and its upcoming developments, please visit www.nuvah.com.my.