KUCHING, 14 JUNE 2022 – Local industries in the state will now have a central facility providing end-to-end Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) adoption with the establishment of Sarawak’s first IR4.0 Prototyping Lab here, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said the IR4.0 facility will be able to support these industries to leapfrog their businesses towards IR4.0 readiness, thus making them more competitive globally and subsequently attract foreign investments.

“The establishment of the IR4.0 Prototyping Lab, in parallel with the affirmation of solid partnerships between Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) and its ecosystem partnerships, is a testament to the realisation of the state’s digital economy strategy.

“The fact that SDEC’s IR4.0 Prototyping Lab is embedded within the Tegas Digital Village is a testament to the level of synergy and spirit of collaboration that is needed to grow and develop the Sarawak Digital and Innovation Ecosystem,” he said in his speech read by Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi at the IR4.0 Prototyping Lab Partnership launching ceremony here yesterday.

Abang Johari said the creation of the IR4.0 Prototyping Lab served as a stepping stone for Sarawak to become a high-income state by 2030.

As the first facility of its kind in the state, he hoped that this initiative would spur the people in Sarawak to fully adopt IR4.0.

“In addition, the lab also serves the industry in Sarawak by providing technology, experts and local capacity development programmes to nurture a comprehensive Industry 4.0 ecosystem.

“We want to make sure that we are equipped with the right capabilities and tools to ensure that the industry is supported well in the progression to digital transformation,” he said.

On a related matter, Abang Johari said the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about the acceptance and adoption of digitalisation across almost all sectors.

“The development of catalytic initiatives under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 will further propel Sarawak to be a thriving society driven by data and innovation.

“These initiatives seek to empower digitalisation of the private economy sector and drive innovation through the development of Digital Testbeds and Living Labs,” he said.

He commended SDEC for leading the way with the inception of the 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) Testbeds at its Centre of Excellence (CoE).

“These are the platforms for people from diverse backgrounds such as startups, entrepreneurs, university researchers and industry to find solutions to real-world problems,” he said.

During the ceremony, Julaihi witnessed the exchange of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between SDEC and the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) as well as three local technology companies namely Akar Indah Engineering Sdn Bhd, TechCapital Resources Sdn Bhd, and 3D Gens Sdn Bhd, which are nurtured under MTDC’s ecosystem.

SDEC aims to extend the collaboration between MTDC and its ecosystem companies in the area of IR4.0 to Sarawak Digital Ecosystems players. It also intends to promote the Prototyping Lab to small, medium enterprises (SMEs) and companies in Sarawak.

Julaihi also witnessed the exchange of Memorandums of Agreement (MoAs) between SDEC and its university partners Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Sarawak (UTS), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sarawak, University of Malaya, and National University of Singapore (NUS) where areas of collaboration opportunities include the research, innovation and development of digital economy.

Also present were Deputy Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Liwan Lagang, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development Datu Len Talif Salleh, Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, SDEC chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Abdul Ghani, MTDC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat and SDEC chief executive officer Sudarnoto Osman.