Centexs, Aviation Design Centre formalise plan to establish Aerospace Academy Sarawak
Ezry Bakar (second left) presents the certificate of incorporation to Syed Mohd Hussein, witnessed by Nadi group company secretary Selina Yunus Tasi (left) and Centexs' chief academic officer for aerospace, digital and green energy academy Dr Dayang Hanani Abang Ibrahim.
KUCHING (May 24): In a landmark development announced at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2025 in Langkawi, Aviation Design Centre Sdn Bhd and the Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (Centexs), had just entered into a strategic joint venture to establish Aerospace Academy Sarawak Sdn Bhd.
This collaboration signified a significant milestone in advancing Sarawak's aerospace capabilities, aimed at nurturing local talent and strengthening Malaysia's position in the regional aerospace ecosystem.
'The new academy is envisioned to become a premier institution for aerospace manufacturing, as well as MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) training in East Malaysia and eventually, nationwide,' said both entities in a joint statement.
The milestone was marked by an official handing-over of the 'certificate of incorporation', signifying the formal partnership invitation for the establishment of Aerospace Academy Sarawak.
The certificate was presented by Aviation Design Centre to Centexs, symbolising the beginning of a strong partnership aimed at cultivating a skilled local workforce to serve the expanding aerospace sector.
Presently, both partners have already been training some 100 youths since November last year, at the Lundu and Subang campuses.
'Aerospace Academy Sarawak will offer industry-aligned programmes tailored to global standards, empowering Sarawakian and Malaysian youths with cutting-edge technical capabilities in aerospace manufacturing and MRO.
'The collaboration merges Aviation Design Centre's robust industry expertise with Centexs' excellence in technology training, testbeds and commercialisation.
'This partnership will be a strategic milestone not just for our organisations, but for the entire State of Sarawak and Malaysia as well,' said Aviation Design Centre managing director Ezry Bakar Ahmad in the statement.
'Together, we aspire to establish Sarawak and Malaysia as a regional hub for aerospace talent and innovation.'
Centexs chief executive officer Datuk Syed Mohd Hussein Wan Abdul Rahman remarked: 'Centexs is proud to be part of this forward-thinking initiative.
'The Aerospace Academy will open doors for our youths to enter high-value, high-tech industries, supporting Sarawak's and Malaysia's long-term vision for a diversified economy.'
The formation of the academy supports Sarawak's broader industrial transformation agenda, and is expected to play a pivotal role in creating high-skilled job opportunities and advancing the local aerospace ecosystem.
'If this is successful, the business model could be established nationwide,' said the statement.
Aviation Design Centre, an associate company of National Aerospace and Defence Industries (Nadi), is a progressive aerospace solutions provider, offering expertise in aircraft design, manufacturing support and training services for the aviation industry.
Centexs, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yayasan Sarawak, is a premier technology training institution dedicated to developing a highly-skilled workforce for key industries such as energy, digital, oil and gas, green energy, artificial intelligence (AI), and now, aerospace. Centexs Langkawi lead LIMA
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