KUCHING – January 7, 2019 – The construction of the Digital Village (DV) at Sama Jaya High Tech Park Kuching is set to begin in January 2019.
 

“The construction of the Digital Village (DV) is expected to be completed within a period of 18 months. We are working closely with the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) to ensure the timely delivery and success of DV. We will work diligently with the contractor to complete the project before the stipulated period from today - without compromising on the quality as required under the contract,” said Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Bumiputera Sarawak (TEGAS) Chairman Datu Len Talif Salleh, who is Assistant Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment.
 

Under the Sarawak Digital Economy Strategy 2018-2025 (Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Action 38), DV is established to facilitate technology transfer and commercialization and accelerate the maturity of the start-ups through global accelerator partnership.

Initiatives at DV will include "Launch Sarawak" (Action 39) – a programme to provide a transformative pathway to support innovation, intellectual property creation and spin-offs, as well as Scale-up programmes and Open Lab. The Sarawak Government through the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) will also setup "Digital Landing Pads" (Action 40) overseas to promote Sarawak as a destination for high tech innovation and entrepreneurship like Silicon Valley or Shanghai, also to encourage both domestic and foreign investments.
 

“The Digital Village will further expand the impact of our established startups, by imbuing them with cutting-edge technology, latest research, and up-to-date digital skills. It will play a significant role in establishing and developing localized knowledge in Sarawak, and put Sarawakian technopreneurs and startups on the world map. Together with all our partners within the digital ecosystem, we know that this initiative will create success stories that will be the pride of our state, and our nation,” says Dr Zaidi Razak, General Manager of SMA.
 

The handing over of site ceremony also saw local dignitaries visit the site including TEGAS Board of Trustees and Datu Dr. Sabariah Putit, Deputy State Secretary (Performance & Service Delivery Transformation).
 

TEGAS is also collaborating with SMA in running the SMA-TEGAS Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) in Kuching, Miri and Bintulu. DIH serves as an inclusive avenue to nurture talents, support entrepreneurs and create innovators for Sarawak. DIH offers access to co-working space and shared amenities, funding opportunities and facilitation, incubation and acceleration programmes as well as an entrepreneur-friendly ecosystem.

“Our mission is to provide growth opportunities for early-stage startups and to build a strong startup community across Sarawak. This initiative is in line with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s agenda to increase the number of successful technopreneurs and subsequently drive the state’s digital economy,” said Datu Len.