Sarawak, European Space Agency explore potential collaboration, strategic partnerships in space sector:
The Sarawak Government and the European Space Agency (ESA) have explored potential collaboration and strategic partnerships in the space sector during a high-level side meeting held in conjunction with the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 in Switzerland on Wednesday….
Discussions centred on strengthening cooperation in space-related capacity building, education and long-term economic development, with an emphasis on developing the talent pipeline needed to support future industries.
The meeting also emphasised the need to systematically build capabilities through structured university programmes and vocational training, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields related to space technologies, to produce a skilled, industry-ready workforce…..
Meanwhile, Krpoun shared ESA’s experience in establishing international collaborations in space development initiatives, citing its ongoing cooperation with Brazil, where capability and competency development began through collaboration on biomass satellite data.
The meeting also reached a shared understanding that starting on a smaller scale — such as through small satellite projects, academic collaboration and targeted training programmes — could provide an effective foundation for the long-term development of Sarawak’s space industry.
Both parties expressed readiness to continue discussions to identify collaboration opportunities aligned with Sarawak’s development priorities and ESA’s international cooperation framework…
There is a saying that one ought to build to one’s strengths; and there is another, don’t run before you can walk. Sarawak is not a world centre for cutting edge technology, but it is a world centre for biodiversity of every form and a critical player in the climate future for our planet.
Sarawak also has a worthy population of indigenous peoples who have long awaited economic and educational uplifting after decades during which their homelands have been destroyed to raise hundreds of billions of dollars, none of which came to them.
The long-running campaign to see more of the state’s petroleum profits retained locally was largely with a view to supporting these communities and the development of basic amenities, health and education which are sorely lacking. However, now that Sarawak has the income flow, all the talk is about channelling the money into ‘cutting edge’ projects, usually somewhere else.
Foreign business advisors have been buzzing around Kuching like bees to a honeypot, touting projects to channel all that money (through their own ‘intermediary services’ and indeed those of their local contacts, naturally) into all manner of ‘new age technology’ elsewhere, as if that alone would transform the state into a Silicon Valley of the East.
Hundreds of millions are duly being poured in to these projects with almost daily announcements of diversions of cash out of the state to fund them. Meanwhile, the state government appears only able to provide the basic aspiration of a universal free education as a target for 2030.
To add insult to injury the state leader has prioritised “Muslim children” to “especially” benefit from his Space oriented education plans. He even plans to bring in specifically Muslim children from Pacific Islands to be educated, relegating the native children from the communities, who have paid for the party with the riches of their lands, to second place.
How about one cutting edge proposal that would help actual Sarawakians? For example, free education within every longhouse using the existing technology for an online classroom via satellite links?
The same could be achieved with medicine, providing primary and preventative care through online consultations. Real jobs for nurses and teachers fanning out amongst the communities to support these programmes would be a parallel step.
And how about a University for Biodiversity, based right in the interior, to host students and scientists from around the world employing local knowledge and training native people in the modern applications of their deep understanding of their environment? That would attract headlines well beyond the local media.
How about real aspirations for real people who have been left behind, rather than trying to buy an over-priced ticket into the Space Race that will only benefit the ticket touts?