SDEC Aims To Position Sarawak As Global Innovation Hub Through PCDS 2030
SIBU: The Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) is intensifying its role as a strategic catalyst to support the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) in an effort to position the state as a global hub for ideas, talent and opportunities.
SDEC Chief Executive Officer Dato Ir Ts Sudarnoto Osman said the corporation’s role is to act as a catalyst for growth, innovation, and inclusivity across Sarawak's digital landscape, in line with the state government’s aspirations.
"Under SDEC's mission, we have a clear commitment to empowering the people, sparking ideas and creating a sustainable impact for Sarawak.
"True innovation is not merely the creation of new things, but bringing those ideas to reality to build businesses and uplift communities," he said.
He said this while delivering the closing speech at the Demo Day TechFrontier Explorer (TFE) x SCENT Cohort 2, which took place at University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), here, on Tuesday.
Elaborating further, Dato Sudarnoto explained that initiatives such as Demo Day are vital stepping stones in the 'Tech to Impact' initiative to ensure innovation does not merely remain theoretical, but becomes a reality that is relevant and provides an impact to society.
The programme reflected close collaboration between SDEC, UTS as a proactive academic partner, and Leave A Nest Malaysia through the SCENT programme, which introduces proven science and entrepreneurship education methodologies.
"This collaboration reflects the strength of the partnership between academia, industry, and the government in building the next generation of Sarawakians innovators.
"UTS has played a vital role in creating space for students to explore commercialisation and showcase their work," he explained.
The programme also highlighted nine finalist teams, including Aurumville Technologies and MedTech Integrated Triage Patch (5 Flat), who have undergone intensive training since last March, including mentoring sessions and a 'Pre-Demo Day' session.
Apart from the finalists, six other teams also participated in the Lightning Talk session, namely 1Infinite, DevSync, Radiant, Kencana (RiseRight), Ferrum Eight and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Drawing inspiration from the success of Cohort 1 at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus last year, he stressed that the initiative is not merely a competition, but a platform for a real entrepreneurial journey.
"What we are forming today is a movement capable of growing into a legacy for generations to come. This journey does not end here, in fact, it has only just begun," he added.
Also present were Deputy Dean of the UTS School of Computing Creative Media Dr Yiiong Siew Ping, SDEC Head of Product Research and Development Dr Khairul Hafiz Sharkawi, Managing Director of Leave A Nest Malaysia Abdul Hakim Sahidi, Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak (MEITD) Roderick Sunang Bilin, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Stinablis Sdn Bhd Jacob Jim and UTS Computer Science lecturer Zahiruddin Ibrahim. -UKASnews
