KUCHING: Germany is looking to enhance its footprint in Sarawak by exploring investment opportunities and partnerships with local companies, said German Ambassador to Malaysia, Silke Riecken-Daerr.
She said that her courtesy call on Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg was aimed at understanding Sarawak’s economic ecosystem and identifying areas where German expertise could support the state’s development ambitions.
“We came here really to understand the ecosystem in Sarawak, to understand investment opportunities in your country.
“And we are drilling into various sectors where Sarawak is excelling. We’ve been discussing the energy transition; we’ve been discussing artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors, but also infrastructure projects
“So there’s a whole breadth of developments going on, and in all those strategically important priority areas for Sarawak, we also see many German strengths, many German proposals, which could help the leapfrogging of Sarawak economically,” she said.
She said this in a press conference after the courtesy call at Satria Pertiwi Complex here today (May 7).
She said Germany already has a strong presence in Peninsular Malaysia, with nearly 800 German companies operating there, but its presence in Sarawak remains relatively small.
This, she added, was the main reason for the visit – to explore ways to expand Germany’s presence in the state and identify potential partnerships with Sarawakian companies.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hannes Richard Otto Farlock, described the visit as an eye-opening experience for many German companies, particularly those visiting Sarawak for the first time.
“Seeing is believing. It is really good to be here and to see the momentum,” he said.
He noted that Sarawak’s abundance of energy resources, transition towards a green economy, and emphasis on digitalisation and AI were among the key attractions for German investors.
“A lot of the factors that will shape economic success in the future are present here. You’re very modern, looking into digitising your economy, applying AI wherever you can,” he said.
Hannes added that Germany and Sarawak shared common interests in areas such as infrastructure sovereignty, AI development, smart cities, semiconductors and renewable energy.
Hannes said the chamber hoped to return with more business delegations from Germany, including startups interested in exploring opportunities in Sarawak’s growing technology and innovation sectors.
Besides Kuching, he said the delegation was also keen to explore other parts of Sarawak, including Bintulu and other major towns, while experiencing the state’s rich natural environment.
