KUCHING, 4 NOVEMBER 2024 – Leave a Nest Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (Headquarters: Cyberjaya, Malaysia; Representative: Mr Abdul Hakim Bin Sahidi; hereafter “Leave a Nest Malaysia”), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) to strengthen the startup ecosystem in Sarawak.
The MoU exchange ceremony was held during the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS) 2024 in Kuching, Sarawak, located in East Malaysia. IDECS is the largest digital innovation event in Borneo, launched in 2017 with the announcement of Sarawak’s designation of industry digitalization as one of its strategies for regional economic revitalization. This year is the 7th edition of the conference. The MoU exchange took place at the Startup Village Stage on the 1st floor of the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, marking an important step in promoting digital innovation and talent development in Sarawak.
The ceremony was graced by the presence of YB Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, the Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) Sarawak who served as the Guest of Honour. The MoU was exchanged between Mr. Abdul Hakim Sahidi, representing Leave a Nest Malaysia, and Dato Ir Ts Sudarnoto Osman, CEO of SDEC. The exchange was witnessed by Chief Scientist & Chief Advisor for Digital Economy to the Government of Sarawak Professor Jugdutt Singh and Dr. Yukihiro Maru, Founder & Group CEO of Leave a Nest Co., Ltd.
Established in 2018, SDEC is a company wholly owned by the Government of Sarawak under the Ministry of Finance and New Economy, tasked with leading Sarawak’s digital economy initiatives for the private sector and transforming Sarawak into a digital economy powerhouse.
In January 2024, Leave A Nest invited SDEC to be part of their TECH VENTURE MEETUP, an event that brings together the alumni network cultivated over 10 years across Leave a Nest’s deep tech platform TECH PLANTER, to accelerate opportunities for investment, joint research, and business partnerships through meetups with VCs and business companies. SDEC & Leave A Nest share the same objective to accelerate opportunities for investment, joint research, business partnerships through meetups with VCs and business companies especially among researchers and deep tech spin-off/startups.
Although Malaysia’s startup ecosystem has seen rapid momentum in recent years, there is still a significant gap between Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia. Against this backdrop, this MoU represents an agreement between the two parties for Leave a Nest to support the development of Sarawak’s startup ecosystem together with SDEC.
The MoU sets out a framework for collaboration aimed at supporting and empowering Sarawakian university spin-offs, startups and entrepreneurs. Key areas of collaboration include facilitating participation in Leave a Nest’s entrepreneurship programs, providing networking opportunities with industry experts, and creating pathways for commercialization and investment. Leave a Nest will also collaborate with SDEC in identifying relevant markets and industries to support the growth of Sarawakian entrepreneurs through tailored training and assistance.
Leave a Nest Malaysia will continue to accelerate the discovery and social implementation of science and technology from the Southeast Asian region.
(Originally published on Leave a Nest website – https://global.lne.st/news/my/2024/10/27/lvnsmy-and-sdec-mou/)