KUCHING: Sarawak is accelerating its push to become Southeast Asia’s next digital powerhouse, showcasing its rapid digital transformation, vibrant innovation ecosystem, and strategic roadmap to emerge as a formidable global player in digital entrepreneurship.
According to the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) in a statement, it led a high-impact presence through its dedicated Sarawak Pavilion at Norm Micro Roastery during the Slush’D Penang 2025.
The showcase, it added, marked a significant milestone in Sarawak’s digital journey, presenting a unified front of innovation, talent, and tech-driven development.
Seven Sarawakian startups and organisations namely Sara Qube, OTA MY, Landik, Borneo Digital, Unbraided AI, XCard, and Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Sarawak (TEGAS) were spotlighted at the pavilion, each demonstrating breakthrough solutions in areas such as carbon tech, AI, digital media, and social enterprise.
Their participation, it noted, reflected the depth of Sarawak’s entrepreneurial talent and the real-world impact of its digital economy strategy.
During the feature session titled ‘Venture Into The Wild: Sarawak’s Hidden Oasis for Innovation’, SDEC head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Hazwan Razak highlighted Sarawak’s ongoing efforts to drive its digital economy across all sectors.
He unveiled Sarawak’s unique digital innovation and entrepreneurship landscape, demonstrating its remarkable progress under the visionary Sarawak Digital Economy Blueprint 2030 and the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030).
He also spotlighted strong homegrown ecosystem players and supportive frameworks that create a welcoming environment for innovators, investors, and entrepreneurs to explore and grow.
Complementing this was the session ‘Fuelling Global Ambition with Local Capital’, where Hazwan joined Sarawak Business Angel Network (SBAN) chairman, Datuk Patrick Liew to explore the importance of local early-stage capital.
“The discussion laid the groundwork for investor conversations with eight Sarawakian startups, signalling a growing appetite for scalable ventures emerging from Borneo,” he said.
These engagements also built critical momentum ahead of Sarawak’s flagship digital event, the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak 2025 (IDECS25), scheduled for October 22 to 23.
Hazwan pointed out that IDECS25 is set to bring together global and regional stakeholders to examine pressing themes such as AI-led economic transformation, digital governance, smart cities, cybersecurity, and ESG-linked digital investment.
“Our impactful presence at Penang Slush’D 2025 is a testament to Sarawak’s unwavering commitment to digital transformation and its readiness to lead.
“We are actively cultivating an environment where innovation thrives and investment flourishes. The exciting anticipation for IDECS25 further underscores our ambition to convene global minds and chart the future of the digital economy from Sarawak,” he said.
