LANGKAWI: In a landmark development announced at LIMA 2025, Aviation Design Centre Sdn Bhd, an associate company of National Aerospace & Defence Industries (NADI) and the Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Yayasan Sarawak, have entered into a strategic joint venture to establish Aerospace Academy Sarawak Sdn Bhd.
This collaboration marks 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 and Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) training in East Malaysia and eventually, nationwide.
L-R: Selina Yunus Tasi, Group Company Secretary of NADI, Ezry Bakar Ahmad, Managing Director of ADC, Dato’ Haji Syed Mohd Hussein bin Wan Abdul Rahman, CEO of CENTEXS, Dr Dayang Hanani Abang Ibrahim, Chief Academic Officer of Aerospace, Digital & Green Energy Academy
The milestone was marked by an official handover ceremony 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 are already training nearly 100 youths since November 2024 at Lundu and Subang campuses.
Aerospace Academy Sarawak will offer industry-aligned programs tailored to global standards, empowering Sarawakian and Malaysian youth with cutting-edge technical capabilities in aerospace manufacturing and MRO. The collaboration merges Aviation Design Centre’s robust industry expertise with CENTEXS’s 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” said En Ezry Bakar Ahmad, Managing Director of Aviation Design Centre. “Together, we aspire to establish Sarawak and Malaysia as a regional hub for aerospace talent and innovation.”
Dato’ Haji Syed Mohd Hussein bin Wan Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of CENTEXS, added: “CENTEXS is proud to be part of this forward-thinking initiative. The Aerospace Academy will open doors for our youth 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 can be established nationwide.
