The Sarawak Artificial Intelligence Centre (SAIC) — the State’s lead agency for artificial intelligence — and IBM Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. are planning to establish Sarawak Quantum Safe Centre, an in-country first-of-its-kind sovereign innovation hub designed to advance quantum-safe readiness, alongside fostering research, talent, and ecosystem development across East Malaysia.
As quantum computing moves closer to becoming cryptographically relevant, the race to build quantum-safe economies has already begun. The 2025 IBM Institute for Business Value’s Quantum-Safe Readiness Index found that 73 percent of organizations report that business and technology leaders are working closely on their quantum-safe strategy. But only 19 percent of organizations have near-term maturity goals for their quantum-safe initiatives.
To help seize this opportunity, SAIC and IBM are joining forces with an intent to position Sarawak at the forefront of quantum-safe innovation. The collaboration aims to strengthen cyber resilience and quantum-safe readiness, advance digital sovereignty and trusted data governance, and unlock new avenues for economic growth, supporting Sarawak’s ambition to become a leading innovation hub for the digital and post-quantum era.
Key areas of collaboration aim to include:
- Establishment of the Sarawak Quantum Safe Centre
The Sarawak Quantum Safe Centre will aim to serve as a sovereign innovation hub dedicated to advancing awareness, research, customer engagement, and practical adoption of quantum-safe technologies. - Strengthening Quantum-Safe Readiness
The collaboration will leverage IBM Guardium Cryptography Manager to help organizations discover and inventory cryptographic assets, assess and prioritize cryptographic risk, and support remediation as they prepare for the transition to post-quantum cryptography. Together, the companies will also develop frameworks and methodologies to help organizations plan and govern that transition with greater confidence. - Accelerating Market Adoption
SAIC and IBM will explore joint value propositions, customer engagement programs, demonstrations, and scalable service offerings to help organizations of all sizes, from SMEs to large enterprises and public sector agencies, prepare for the post-quantum security era. - Advancing Thought Leadership
The collaboration will also aim to drive industry awareness, helping position Sarawak as a leading voice in quantum-safe preparedness in the region.
“The post-quantum era is approaching faster than many organizations realize. At this pivotal moment, strong public-private collaboration is essential to securing critical data and systems from ‘harvest now, decrypt later’ attacks, and future cryptographically relevant quantum computers. Our collaboration with SAIC, brings together IBM’s global expertise and Sarawak’s bold vision to strengthen quantum-safe readiness, cultivate future-ready talent, and build a thriving ecosystem that will fuel sustainable economic growth, technological leadership, and long-term resilience,” said Dickson Woo, Country General Manager and Technology Leader, IBM Malaysia.
“Sarawak is investing boldly in the technologies that will define the future. Together with IBM, we are accelerating innovation, building quantum-safe readiness, and strengthening the capabilities needed to drive long-term competitiveness. This agreement positions Sarawak at the forefront of the post-quantum security era, reinforcing our standing as a trusted destination for digital innovation,” said Patrick Then, CEO, SAIC.
“Post-quantum readiness is essential to safeguarding the systems, data, and critical infrastructure that power the digital economy. Through this collaboration, we are taking an important step toward strengthening Malaysia’s quantum-safe capabilities, building cyber resilience, and preparing critical infrastructure for the challenges and opportunities of the post-quantum era,” said Eddy Liew, CTO, IBM Malaysia.
