Sarawak’s contribution to a new African swine fever research partnership will centre on virus data and local veterinary experience, rather than an announced farm treatment or finished vaccine. The Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) said on October 8 that it is joining a £3.4 million project led by the University of Sheffield. The partnership also includes the University of Liverpool and Thailand’s National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, with SIDC working alongside Sarawak’s Veterinary Services Department. The researchers aim to understand the virus’s genetic diversity, evolution and spread. Whole-genome sequencing is intended to help build SIDC’s role as a regional genomic reference centre and produce evidence useful to farmers and veterinary authorities. UK Research and Innovation’s October 7 funding announcement independently lists the Sheffield-led African swine fever project among 18 new research and innovation projects. The £3.4 million figure is the partnership’s reported project grant, not an allocation confirmed wholly for SIDC. For Sarawak’s pig-farming sector, the local link is participation in generating and interpreting evidence about the virus. The announcement sets out research goals; it does not establish that a new vaccine, treatment or control service is ready for farmers to use.

Sarawak is preparing a 2026–2035 roadmap to turn research and biodiversity into commercial opportunities. The plan was announced in Kuching on Sept 10 as the Sarawak Research and Development Council (SRDC) joined BioVerde Technologies Sdn Bhd to develop the state’s first 10-year Bioeconomy and Biotechnology Roadmap. The work will cover research, innovation, investment and commercialisation, with stakeholder discussions, scientific studies and industry engagement scheduled as part of the process. The scope reaches beyond laboratories: healthcare, agriculture, food security, environmental sustainability and other bio-based industries are named as possible areas for growth. The roadmap is also intended to sit within SRDC’s Innovation Corridor, linking researchers, talent, companies and investors. For Sarawak, the immediate news is the start of planning, not a completed investment pipeline. A stakeholder roundtable is due on Sept 11, while the final priorities, projects, funding commitments and delivery timetable have yet to be announced. The state’s biodiversity is being treated as an economic and research asset, but any future use will depend on how the roadmap balances commercial development with conservation and measurable public benefit.

Sarawak is putting RM300 million into a new biomedical research laboratory, with Kuching hosting the announcement today. [image: 1785405846518-biomed-lab.jpg] Photo: DayakDaily Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the lab is meant to strengthen health research, biotechnology and precision medicine in Sarawak. His speech was delivered by Kuching South Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng at the 19th ASEAN Conference of Clinical Laboratory Sciences in Kuching on July 30. Why it matters The State wants the facility to support work on new medicines, future disease readiness and international research partnerships. Dr Sim also linked the plan to Sarawak's wider healthcare push, including the RM1 billion Sarawak Cancer Centre and the digitalisation of more than 150 primary healthcare facilities through the Cloud-Based Clinic Management System. Location: Kuching, Sarawak Details: RM300 million biomedical research laboratory; health research, biotechnology and precision medicine focus Source: DayakDaily What do you think?