Sagah: Start-ups key drivers of Sarawak’s economic growth

KUCHING (Aug 13): Start-ups are the growth engines for Sarawak’s economy by driving technological advancement and creating employment opportunities, said Sarawak Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn.

Sagah pointed out these innovative enterprises could address specific challenges faced by the state, including issues related to rural development, sustainable agriculture, and environmental conservation.

“We are committed to supporting the growth of the startup ecosystem in Sarawak through strategic investments, infrastructure development, and regulatory support,” he said when officiating the ‘Digital Village Accelerator (DiVA) Cohort Demo Day 2024’ held at Tegas Digital Village at Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone here today.

He highlighted the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 serves as a guiding framework for the state to establish itself as a global innovation cluster by offering young talents guidance and training to encourage innovation.

Sagah also lauded the DiVA programme, a flagship initiative of Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), for accelerating the growth of local technology starts-ups and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs through the availability of market access, resources and investment support.

Meanwhile, SDEC chief executive officer Ir Ts Sudarnoto Osman said the DiVA programme allows budding start-ups to be exposed to various networking sessions, masterclasses and mentorship from successful starts-ups, companies and investors.

“To date, with three cohorts conducted, SDEC has invested more than RM3 million to provide the accelerator programme and the seed grants for the DiVA residents,” said Osman, adding SDEC is targeting to produce 500 high-tech start-ups by 2030.

Among those present were Deputy Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan and Deputy Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Francis Harden Hollis.