GEORGETOWN: At the recent Penang Slush'D 2025, Southeast Asia’s premier tech anti-conference, Sarawak strategically positioned itself as a pivotal force in the region's digital evolution, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship.

According to a statement by Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), through its vibrant Sarawak Pavilion held from 19 to 21 May 2025, SDEC showcased the region's rapid digital transformation, thriving innovation ecosystem, and strategic roadmap towards becoming a formidable global player in digital entrepreneurship.

“The Sarawak Pavilion, hosted at Norm Micro Roastery, featured SDEC’s initiatives and seven promising Sarawakian startups and organisations namely Sara Qube, OTA MY, Landik, Borneo Digital, Unbraided AI, XCard, and Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Sarawak (TEGAS).

“These startups demonstrated their innovative solutions in carbonbtech, digital media, AI technology solutions, and social enterprise, affirming the calibre of Sarawak's homegrown talent,” SDEC said on Thursday.

The highlight of SDEC's impactful presence was the session ‘Venture Into The Wild: Sarawak’s Hidden Oasis for Innovation’ presented by SDEC Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Hazwan Razak.

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).

Hazwan also highlighted Sarawak's continuous efforts to drive its digital economy across all sectors, spotlighting robust homegrown ecosystem players and supportive frameworks that provide a truly welcoming ground for innovators, investors, and entrepreneurs to explore and build.

The momentum continued with critical discussions around capital mobilisation and ecosystem development.

Meanwhile, in the ‘Fuelling Global Ambition with Local Capital’ session, Hazwan and Chairman of the Sarawak Business Angel Network (SBAN), Dato Patrick Liew explored strategies for establishing a robust early-stage funding ecosystem.

These crucial conversations sparked initial introductions for over eight promising Sarawakian startups and organisations with potential investors, signalling a strong desire to leverage local capital to capture global growth.

This dialogue also laid significant groundwork for the upcoming International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak 2025 (IDECS25).

“As Sarawak drives its digital agenda forward, SDEC leveraged the dynamic engagement at Slush'D Penang to promote the upcoming IDECS25, scheduled to be held from 22 to 23 October 2025,” it said.

IDECS25 will explore topics such as digital governance and smart cities, AI-powered economic transformation, smart energy ecosystems, digital resilience and cybersecurity, as well as green digital transformation and ESG investment.

Hazwan further stressed SDEC’s impactful presence at Penang Slush'D 2025 as 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.

SDEC's proactive engagement at premier events like Slush'D and its upcoming IDECS25 are integral to its mission of accelerating Sarawak's digital economic growth, and empowering its entrepreneurial community to compete and succeed on regional and global stages. -UKASnews