The 24-month collaboration will turn university research into practical AI pilots for industry and communities, with pathways to commercialisation
KUALA LUMPUR, 2 SEPTEMBER 2026 – UNIMAS Holdings Sdn Bhd (UHSB), the commercial and investment arm of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and Singularity Connect Sdn Bhd, will identify and test artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for real industry, community and public-sector needs in Sarawak under a 24-month partnership announced recently at the University Research and Innovation Investment Summit 2026 (URIIS 2026).
The collaboration brings together Singularity Connect’s AI development and governance capabilities with UNIMAS’ researchers, facilities and talent. Selected ideas will move from identifying a problem to research, testing and pilot implementation, with results measured before any wider commercial rollout.
Initial areas being considered include biodiversity and natural-resource management, healthcare, education, agriculture, sustainable communities, smart-campus operations and the digitalisation of businesses. Pilots may take place in organisations, industries or communities in Sarawak, subject to the necessary approvals.
Ahmad Fauzi bin Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Singularity Connect Sdn Bhd said, “This partnership gives us a practical way to turn research and real needs into AI solutions that can be tested and measured. By starting in Sarawak, we can learn what works locally and, where there is proven value, explore how those solutions can be used more widely across Malaysia.”
The partnership will also create opportunities for students and researchers through industry projects, internships, exchanges and training. Each project will be expected to address data governance, privacy, cybersecurity, human oversight and accountability before deployment.
Syahrizan Junaini, Chief Executive Officer of UNIMAS Holdings Sdn Bhd, said, “UNIMAS has strong research expertise and talent across many disciplines. Our role at UHSB is to create the bridge between that knowledge and real opportunities in industry and the community. Through this collaboration, we want to identify real problems, bring the right researchers and technology partners together, and develop AI solutions that can be tested in Sarawak. Where those solutions demonstrate measurable value, we want to create a clear pathway towards commercialisation and wider adoption.
The parties exchanged a non-exclusive MoU at URIIS 2026, witnessed by Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi two days ago. It provides the overall framework for the collaboration. Funding, intellectual property, data access, commercial terms and project deployment remain subject to further approvals and separate agreements where required.
