Mapping Sabah's grassroots innovations to inclusive and sustainable futures
Published on: Mon, Jul 14, 2025
By: Paul Canigea, Anita Limjoon, Fiona V Loijon Text Size: The Institute for Development Studies Sabah (IDS), Sabah Techpreneur Association (Sata) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) launched a research project to map grassroots innovations across the state to explore this potential. THE demand for innovation is global, and particularly in the context of sustainable development goals. Grassroots innovation is becoming a powerful tool in tackling local challenges across Southeast Asia. In countries like India, innovation ecosystems have grown significantly and in 2023 alone over 75,000 patents were granted. Vietnam and Thailand are also investing in rural innovations which promote sustainability, for example, solar energy projects which provide reliable power to local communities. For instance, Thailand has built solar microgrids in rural areas, allowing villages to produce and control their own electricity. Small scale hydropower projects have been deployed in remote areas in Indonesia to supply renewable energy to support local economies. These examples show how improved infrastructure can support community driven solutions that can promote both economic growth and environmental sustainability. Sabah's role is unique in this regional context. Subscribe or LOG IN to access this article.
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