KUCHING: Four pilot projects will be rolled out this year under the Transitioning Industrial Cluster (TIC) initiative to accelerate industrial transformation and decarbonisation across the Bintulu-Samalaju corridor.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the projects would focus on smart manufacturing, carbon utilisation and hydrogen production, industrial symbiosis as well as talent development.
He said the projects form part of the TIC initiative, a coordinated platform that brings together industry players, government agencies, technology partners and financiers under a common framework to drive industrial transformation.
“To translate ambition into implementation, we have identified four pilot projects that will commence this year,” he said.
He said this during the launching ceremony of the ‘Sarawak Transitioning Industrial Cluster (TIC): Malaysia’s First Cluster Under the World Economic Forum – Bintulu: A Gateway to ASEAN’s Next Energy and Industrial Frontier’ at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) today (June 11).
The first project focuses on Smart Manufacturing Operations, leveraging digital technologies, connectivity and data-driven optimisation to improve industrial productivity and efficiency throughout the corridor.
The second project, known as the Sarawak CCU-H2 Hub, will explore pathways for large-scale carbon capture and utilisation as well as hydrogen production, aimed at strengthening the commercial viability of both industries while advancing decarbonisation efforts.
The third project centres on Industrial Symbiosis, which seeks to create opportunities for companies to share resources, utilise waste streams, and improve efficiency through a more circular industrial ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the fourth project which is the Bintulu TIC Talent Initiative will focus on upskilling and reskilling the workforce to support industrial transition, digitalisation and the growth of emerging low-carbon industries.
Abang Johari stressed that talent development remains a critical component of Sarawak’s industrial transformation agenda.
“Infrastructure and technology alone do not transform economies, people do. That is why Sarawak continues to invest in talent development and capability building, ensuring that our people are equipped to lead the industries and opportunities of the future,” he said.
Abang Johari pointed out that the TIC is one of the enabling initiatives under the forthcoming Sarawak Net Zero Strategy and Carbon Plan, which is being developed to chart the state’s long-term decarbonisation pathway.
He said decarbonising industries through the TIC initiative would play an important role in helping Sarawak maintain its net-negative carbon position while creating new opportunities for investment, industrial growth and long-term economic resilience.
“These four pilot projects form the foundation of a longer-term transformation, one that will make the Bintulu-Samalaju corridor more competitive, innovative and resilient in the decades ahead,” he added.
