Sarawak To Develop Kuching Ai Data Campus In Tanjung Embang

KUCHING (Oct 5): Sarawak will develop the Kuching Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Campus in Tanjung Embang as a catalyst for its next phase of AI ecosystem, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said the campus will be supported by dedicated power and water infrastructure, AI computing facilities and digital connectivity nodes, and will be developed through a public-private partnership approach.

“The campus is intended to provide the physical foundation for the development of an AI Grid, while creating a platform to attract investment, strengthen our data-centre ecosystem and support the growth of AI-related businesses and capabilities in Sarawak.

“Alongside this, the AI Grid is being developed to connect computing resources and make use of Sarawak’s renewable energy capacity. Taken together, these initiatives represent progression from strategy to infrastructure, and from infrastructure to application.

“Their significance lies in our ability to apply AI responsibly to Sarawak’s priorities,” he said when opening the 9th International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak 2026 (IDECS26) themed ‘Scaling Innovation Ecosystems For A Borderless Economy: Earth, Orbit & Beyond’ at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching on Monday.

Citing Adam AI, which was developed for the State Civil Service as an example, Abang Johari said it demonstrated how AI could be applied within government to work with authorised information, support policy analysis, and improve the way documents are prepared, scenarios are assessed, and decisions are made.

He said the same capabilities could also be adapted across industries where Sarawak has distinctive needs and strengths.

“But technology capabilities do not develop in isolation. Infrastructure, talent, research, industry, investment and access to markets need to reinforce one another if ideas are to move from research and experimentation into products, services and businesses.

“For Sarawak, this means creating an environment where a researcher can develop an idea, where a company can test and commercialise it, where investors can support its growth, and where the resulting product or service can find markets beyond Sarawak,” he said.

Through this connection between knowledge, capability, investment and markets, he believed that innovation could move beyond an idea and become economic value.

The Premier took pride that the Sarawak Digital Economy Strategy 2018 to 2022 had broadened, and the Sarawak Digital Economy Blueprint 2030 will continue to broaden the transformation agenda across government, business, infrastructure, innovation and human capital.

“The initiatives we are pursuing today in AI, semiconductors and other advanced technologies build on this established direction. They represent the next stage of Sarawak’s efforts to use technology not only to improve how we work, but also to strengthen our economy and create new areas of value.

“The Sarawak Artificial Intelligence Centre (SAIC) is playing a central role in advancing Sarawak’s AI agenda, bringing together the development of AI capabilities, talent, applications and trusted infrastructure,” he said.

Abang Johari said this direction is being further shaped through the Sarawak AI Blueprint 2026 to 2030, which is currently being developed to provide a coordinated approach to AI development across government, industry, academia and research.

He added that the Sarawak Sovereign AI Infrastructure Platform, officially launched in August this year, established a foundation for locally-governed AI computing and the secure management, governance and protection of strategic government data.

By bringing data, computing and AI capabilities under a more integrated and locally governed environment, it can reduce dependence on external platforms while strengthening Sarawak’s capacity to develop and deploy AI for its own priorities, he said.

“This is not only about data protection. It is about turning data into a strategic asset for better decision-making and service delivery.

“The platform can support applications such as smarter urban planning and more efficient development processes, while providing a foundation for wider AI applications across government and the economy,” he said.

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