(From second left) iCube founder Dato Patrick Liew, Al-Khalid and Tegas chief operating officer Awangku Merali Pengiran Mohamed in a photo call with participants and speakers.
SARIKEI: The Sarikei Innovation Centre (SiC) recently hosted some 150 participants for a three-day Elev8 entrepreneurship programme.
Participants ranging from university students to civil servants and business owners were mainly from Sarikei with others from Bintangor, Meradong, Julau, Pakan and also Sibu.
A series of workshops on optimising usage of technology such as YouTube, Google AdWords and AdSense as well as keynote sessions on E-Rezeki and Global Online Workforce, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), drone application, social entrepreneurship, coding, tech and leadership enlightened participants.
There were also fireside chats on ‘The role of Government Agencies’ and ‘Journey of Sarawakian Startups’. Key speakers and panelists from startups and technology specialists in corporate and government agencies shared their knowledge and experience.
University students Nur Zaihanirah Zaini and Elton Jong from Sibu said Elev8 not only helped them gain insight on startup ecosystem but also enriched them with new ideas.
“It was worth the hour’s drive from Sibu,” they said.
Managing director of BeliBeli24, Mohammad Hisham Khairul Nasir said that Elev8 was an excellent platform to produce an ecosystem of successful entrepreneurs through networking and experience sharing.
This inaugural event to drive Sarawak’s entrepreneurship ecosystem in this age of digital transformation was organised by iCube Innovation Sdn Bhd, supported by Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) Tabung Gagasan Anak Bumiputera Sarawak (Tegas) and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
Deputy chief scientist and chief advisor to Sarawak digital economy, Professor Ir Dr Al-Khalid Haji Othman who attended the event on behalf of SMA on the first day noted that it was a holistic and strategic initiative to make SiC a high impact platform for knowledge-based events.
Sarikei Resident Mohamad Junaidi Mohidin, who officiated at the event on the second day said such events enabled locals to innovate and leverage on e-commerce.