KOTA KINABALU (Dec 12): The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (KSTI) on Monday launched the Digital IoT Sandbox Centre at Wisma Bandaraya here.
Its minister, Datuk Yakub Khan, said the centre will be a platform for innovators and digital entrepreneurs to create their products and test the feasibility of technology in a safe and real environment.
Apart from that, they will also get access to help in terms of legal, financial, market access among others.
“Our sandbox initiative received the attention of PhD students and lecturers at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland where they thought that this was an example of ‘open innovation’ that should be emulated.
“This is a good start for us. This initiative has received attention not only in Sabah, but abroad.
“Therefore all those involved should collaborate with each other and no longer be working in silos, and move together with the correct and parallel objectives for the people so as not to be left behind in the technology and innovation sector,” he said.
KSTI Permanent Secretary Datuk Zainudin Aman said various programs and initiatives will be implemented after the launch of the Sandbox IoT Digital Center.
He said several major entities in Sabah such as SCENIC and Sabah Net will collaborate with strategic partners and mobilise initiatives to encourage more innovations to be brought and tested in the sandbox.
“There are various facilities provided by NTIS (National Technology and Innovation Sandbox) which are not only investment opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs but advisory services such as legal advice and entrepreneurship training for them.
“Developing innovation, whether incremental innovation or radical innovation, takes time. With that in mind, this sandbox centre was established for them to test the feasibility of their technology.
“When looking at our ecosystem as a whole, all those drivers are complete. Through the quadruple helix model, we have the government, the private sector, universities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“What we need to move consistently and regularly is the filling of programs that need to be done continuously and strategically for all community movers and innovators to come to this sandbox to create and test more grassroots innovations,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (SCENIC) general manager Viviantie Sarjuni said the centre will work very closely with Mranti and KSTI to funnel potential technology from the grassroot to be tested at the sandbox.
“Besides that, SCENIC will help to curate programmes at the centre together with partners like Kinabalu Coders and SabahNet to benefit Sabahan talents.”
