KUCHING: The Centre for Technical Excellence (CENTEXS) is strengthening its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to help Sarawak realise its vision of becoming a leading force in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2027.
This expanded initiative builds on the success of the CENTEXS 2024 AI training programme, which certified 32 local talents in the AWS Cloud Practitioner, Architecting, and AI/ML fields – demonstrating the state’s ongoing commitment to developing its AI capabilities.
AWS Regional Managing Director for the Worldwide Public Sector (ASEAN), Eric Conrad, stated that Sarawak is at an exciting turning point in its digital journey.
“The state’s commitment to building digital capabilities and accelerating the adoption of AI in the public sector lays a strong foundation for innovation and transformation.
“Through this expanded collaboration with CENTEXS, AWS will help realise this vision by training professionals and enabling them to develop practical AI solutions that bring meaningful impact to the people of Sarawak,” he said in a statement recently.
This year, AWS will also launch three specialised AI development pathways with CENTEXS: an Executive AI Briefing targeting 60 top-level (C-level) leaders, Certified AWS AI Practitioner training for 80 civil servants, and advanced certification in Machine Learning Engineering and Data Engineering for 120 university graduates.
Graduates of the advanced pathway will join the ‘AWS Guild Generative AI Incubator’ programme at the new CENTEXS Innovation and Creation Centre, set to open in August 2025.
They will develop AI solutions under AWS’ mentorship and are expected to complete their projects within four months.
Meanwhile, CENTEXSChief Executive Officer, Datuk Syeed Mohd Hussein Wan Abdul Rahman, said the organisation is proud to collaborate with AWS in building Sarawak’s digital future.
“Our new Innovation Centre, launching in August, will harness the power of Generative AI, Machine Learning, and DevOps to develop practical AI solutions for key industries.
“This is also being carried out in collaboration with AWS, the Sarawak Artificial Intelligence Centre (SAIC), Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd (SAINS), and industry experts.
“We aim to create targeted solutions for government services as well as sectors such as energy, agriculture, media, and others,” he said.
As part of the Sarawak Digital Economy Action Plan 2030, the state aims to transition from a resource-based economy to an environmentally sustainable and technology-driven economy.
This training programme is seen as a way to address the critical need for AI expertise in government agencies through a comprehensive approach involving executive awareness, professional certification, and advanced technical training.
The initiative is expected to transform Sarawak’s government operations through integrated digital services, thereby enhancing citizen experiences and improving agency productivity.
It also supports the goals of the Sarawak Digital Economy Action Plan 2030 (SDE 2030) in terms of economic transformation, modernisation, efficiency, and income growth.
To learn more about AWS training and certification programmes, visit: aws.amazon.com/training