By Christine T
KUCHING, Oct 6: Sarawak must move beyond adopting technology and focus on turning research, innovation and digital capabilities into economic value, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said the next phase of Sarawak’s digital development would depend on connecting research, industry, investment and talent so ideas could be developed into products and services for wider markets.
“Our young people must be equipped not only to use technology, but to apply it creatively and responsibly.
“Universities and research institutions have an equally important role. Research creates greater economic value when there is a pathway into application and commercialisation,” he said when opening the ninth International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS26) at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) yesterday (Oct 5).
He said industry provided the environment for ideas to be tested and scaled, while investment could bring expertise, technology and access to wider markets.
“For Sarawak, this means remaining open to new possibilities while continuing to build on the strengths we already have.
“Our natural resources, energy, industries, and institutions provide a foundation; innovation can open new ways of using them, creating greater value, and entering new areas of economic activity,” he said.
The Premier said Sarawak needed to build the capacity to recognise emerging opportunities and participate in new areas of technology and industry.
“Preparing for this future requires more than individual policies or projects. It requires a platform that brings the necessary people, ideas, and institutions together.
“IDECS26 serves that purpose,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Sri Julaihi Narawi said Sarawak was entering a new phase in which the focus should be on generating greater value from its digital investments.
“Sarawak has made deliberate investments over the years to build the foundations of a digital economy, from connectivity and infrastructure to talent and innovation.
“We are now entering the next phase, where the measure of success is not how much technology we deploy, but the economic value we create from it,” he said.
Julaihi said digitalisation would be critical to Sarawak’s target of developing a RM282 billion economy by 2030 by raising productivity, attracting higher-value investment and creating new sources of economic growth.
He said IDECS26 was focused on technologies and capabilities that could shape Sarawak’s next phase of development, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, digital talent and the emerging space economy.
The two-day conference, themed “Scaling Innovation Ecosystems for a Borderless Economy: Earth, Orbit & Beyond”, brings together government, industry, academia, investors and innovators at BCCK to explore emerging technologies and opportunities for collaboration. — DayakDaily
