Technology, automation of Sarawak's drivers reaches the target of RM280 billion GDP

KUCHING, Oct 6: Technology and automation need to be ramped up to increase the productivity of existing sectors as well as support Sarawak's efforts to double the state's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from RM140 billion to RM280 billion by 2030.

The chairman of Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani said that businesses need to move from conventional methods to the use of technology in order to adapt to changing industrial and labour needs.

He said that automation is particularly important in sectors such as agriculture to reduce dependence on manual labour, as well as accelerate planting and harvesting processes.

"For example, in agriculture, we need to automate processes such as planting and harvesting to increase productivity and, of course, efficiency", he said in an exclusive interview with TVS.

Morshidi said SDEC will continue to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as industry players adapt to technology through digital solutions, cloud services and partnerships with the private sector.

He argued that the transformation should cover the entire value chain of existing sectors, not just digitize business operations, but ensure that the use of technology directly impacts productivity.

At the same time, he said Sarawak should explore new areas such as hydrogen economy, carbon hubs and space sector which could potentially be additional drivers to the state's economic growth.

He said that the development of the sector could also reduce dependence on traditional economies, in addition to creating demand for highly skilled labour.

"Institutions like CENTEXS and i-CATS have provided training in fields including hydrogen, space, aviation and telecommunications", he said.