Sarawak Moves from Pilots to Policy at AI-Sustainability Executive Forum

Panellists, including Sarawak Energy Vice President of Corporate Shared Services, Peing Tajang, SDEC Head of Digital Economy Project, Minda James, CEO of Sarawak AI Centre, Prof. Patrick Then discuss ‘Digitalisation for Sustainability’.

KUCHING, 11 June 2025: More than 100 professionals from across sustainability, energy, and technology sectors gathered at Sheraton Kuching yesterday for “AI Meets Sustainability: Driving Impact Through Digitalisation”, a forum co-organised by UNIVERS, Arc Technologies, and the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC). The event explored how artificial intelligence and digital platforms are already helping businesses and government agencies address real sustainability challenges such as tracking carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency, and cutting operational costs. 

The forum kicked off with welcoming remarks from State Assemblyman for N13 Batu Kitang Dato Ir. Lo Khere Chiang, setting the stage for a forward-looking discussion. This was followed by an opening keynote from CEO of SDEC, Dato Ir. Ts. Sudarnoto Osman, who shared how Sarawak is turning digital ambition into actionable sustainability outcomes through technology and cross-sector collaboration. 

Welcoming remarks from Dato Ir. Lo Khere Chiang.

Dato Ir. Ts. Sudarnoto Osman shares on Sarawak’s digital economy ambition.

“SDEC's role is not to code the engine, it is to build the environment where smart technologies like AI can thrive. This forum is proof that Sarawak is ready to scale what works, from pilots to policy, and from insight to action,” said Dato Ir. Ts. Sudarnoto Osman, who also shared that the International Digital Economy Conference (IDECS) 2025, happening October 22 and 23, 2025 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) will introduce a new standard of climate accountability with smarter logistics, greener travel, energy-efficient venues and traceable procurement. 

Yesterday’s forum also saw the signing of an MoU between Dato Ir. Ts. Sudarnoto Osman and Univers Global Vice President, Arun Poojari, a collaboration which will focus on AI-driven decarbonisation and energy efficiency between SDEC and Univers. 

Dato Ir. Ts. Sudarnoto Osman (front, left) and Arun Poojari (front, right) sign MoU on AI-driven decarbonisation and energy efficiency.

Participants of yesterday’s forum included sustainability officers, ESG practitioners, facilities and energy managers, digital leads, researchers, and experts from the public sector reflecting the cross-sector urgency to act on climate and digital integration. It marks another important step in Sarawak’s digital transformation journey, bringing together industry, academia, and government to build smarter, more sustainable systems that serve both economic and environmental goals.

AI Sustainability Forum gathers over 100 professionals at Sheraton Kuching.

Univers Global Vice President, Arun Poojari presents on ‘Empowering Sustainability through AI’.

Participants of “AI Meets Sustainability: Driving Impact Through Digitalisation” forum taking a group photo with guests of honour.