Sarawak Biodiversity Centre

What Sarawak Biodiversity Centre does

Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) is a statutory authority of the Sarawak state government in Malaysia, established in 1998 and headquartered in Kuching, mandated to regulate access to and use of biological resources in Sarawak and to drive biodiversity research, conservation, and commercialization. Its core technology stack comprises seven dedicated research laboratories (Sample Extraction, Analytical Chemistry, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Bioinformatics, Algae Research, Plant Tissue Culture, and Product Development) housed in the Integrated Biodiversity Research Building (IBRB), supplemented by the SBC-MC Algae Cultivation Facility (launched 2019 with Mitsubishi Corporation) and the Natural Product Library (NPL) of indigenous rainforest plants, endophytic fungi, actinomycetes, and algae. SBC serves institutional researchers, indigenous communities of Sarawak, commercial companies in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics, and other government agencies through a hybrid model that combines government-to-government engagement, formal research collaboration agreements, digital permitting via the Sarawak Online Research Application System (SORAS), and public-facing programs such as LitSara Traditional Wisdom Tours and Biodiversity Day events. Its revenue mechanics include government appropriations, negotiated research permit fees, intellectual property licensing and royalties, Natural Product Library access arrangements, and sales of reference materials such as Silvestrol Reference Material, with commercial scale-up channeled through its wholly-owned subsidiary BioVerde Technologies Sdn Bhd. The Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) framework and Prior Informed Consent (PIC) protocol underpin all third-party engagements, ensuring compliant use of Sarawak's biodiversity and equitable benefit distribution to indigenous communities.

Name

Sarawak Biodiversity Centre

Legal name

Sarawak Biodiversity Centre

Website

https://sbc.org.my

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sarawak Biodiversity Centre is a Sarawak state statutory authority, established in 1998 and headquartered in Kuching, that regulates access to biological resources, conducts biodiversity R&D, and commercializes natural products for research institutions, indigenous communities, government agencies, and commercial partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biodiversity Research and Bioprospecting Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA), Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE)

Keywords

• Biodiversity research services
• Natural product library
• Bioprospecting research
• Microalgae cultivation
• Indigenous knowledge documentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Kuching

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Permit Processing: SBC processes and approves research permit applications for external researchers and institutions wishing to conduct biodiversity research in Sarawak, implementing the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) framework.
2. Intellectual Property Licensing: Development and commercialization of intellectual properties derived from Sarawak's biodiversity, including licensing of natural products, extracts, and biotechnological innovations.
3. Natural Product Library Access: Providing access to the Natural Product Library for research institutions and commercial entities seeking to screen and develop natural products.
4. Reference Materials and Standards: Sale of reference materials such as Silvestrol Reference Material for research and quality control purposes.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) is a statutory authority of the Sarawak state government that regulates access to biological resources in Sarawak and drives biodiversity R&D and bioprospecting. It offers biodiversity commercialization pathways through its Natural Product Library, multi-disciplinary research laboratories (analytical chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, bioinformatics, plant tissue culture, algae research), the Algae Cultivation Facility, the Sarawak Bioindustrial Park, and its commercial subsidiary BioVerde Technologies Sdn Bhd, supported by the SORAS online permit platform and an Access & Benefit Sharing framework with indigenous communities.

Product overview

Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) operates as a statutory authority regulating access to biological resources in Sarawak. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services built around biodiversity research and commercialization. Core offerings include the Natural Product Library (NPL) containing indigenous rainforest plants and microorganisms, and the Sarawak Bioindustrial Park serving as the industrial gateway for commercialization. Research capabilities are delivered through dedicated laboratories (Plant Tissue Culture, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Analytical Chemistry, Bioinformatics, Sample Extraction, Product Development) housed in the Integrated Biodiversity Research Building (IBRB). Specialized research programs include the Algae Cultivation Facility (ACF) for microalgae innovation and the Essential Oil Project. SBC's digital infrastructure includes SORAS for research permit applications. The ecosystem is supported by BioVerde Technologies Sdn Bhd as the commercial subsidiary, while public engagement is facilitated through LitSara Traditional Wisdom Tours, awareness programs, and training opportunities for students. The Access & Benefit Sharing framework ensures indigenous communities receive fair benefits from commercialization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LitSara: Traditional wisdom tour and indigenous knowledge documentation programme involving local communities
• AdenoSara

Products and services

• Natural Product Library (NPL) A library containing unique species of indigenous rainforest plants and microorganisms from environmental samples including endophytic fungi, actinomycetes, and algae, available for research and commercialization to research institutions and commercial entities.
• Sarawak Bioindustrial Park The industrial gateway for Sarawak's biodiversity that bridges scientific research and large-scale commercial success, turning Sarawak's natural biodiversity into high-value economic products for commercial partners.
• Algae Cultivation Facility (ACF) A state-of-the-art facility for cultivating microalgae for applications in biomass, feedstock, biofuel, food, and health supplements, established in partnership with Mitsubishi Corporation.
• Sarawak Online Research Application System (SORAS) An online portal available to researchers who wish to carry out research in Sarawak, facilitating research permit applications, processing, and tracking under the state's biodiversity governance framework.
• BioVerde Technologies Sdn Bhd SBC's wholly-owned commercial subsidiary focused on translating biodiversity research into market-ready bio-based products and facilitating commercialization of SBC's intellectual properties.
• Silvestrol Reference Material A reference standard material for Silvestrol, a natural compound derived from biodiversity research, available for scientific research and analytical purposes.
• LitSara Traditional Wisdom Tour An educational tour programme showcasing indigenous traditional knowledge and ethnobotanical resources to visitors, part of SBC's public awareness initiatives.
• Industrial Training Programme A professional immersion programme providing Malaysian university students with hands-on experience in biodiversity research and biotechnology at SBC's research laboratories.
• Internship Programme (International Students) International internship opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in biodiversity research and conservation at SBC's laboratories and facilities.
• Biodiversity Makes Scents - Essential Oil Project A research and development project developing essential oils from Sarawak's native biodiversity for potential commercialization, showcasing natural product potential from Borneo rainforest species.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,500 trees planted at Sabal Reserve Forest since 2023, contributing to Sarawak's 50 Million Trees Campaign
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• Forest Department SarawakcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2025Collaborative tree planting initiative at Sabal Reserve Forest, Simunjan supporting Sarawak's reforestation efforts and 50 Million Trees Campaign. SBC and Forest Department Sarawak work together annually on environmental conservation initiatives.
• Chitose Laboratory Corp, JapancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Japanese biotechnology partner collaborating on the Algae Cultivation Facility. Dr Huang Hsiang Ting, General Manager, participated in welcoming the Japanese Ambassador, highlighting the strong Japan-SBC relationship in microalgae research.
• Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) / Japanese GovernmentmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022The Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia visited SBC to strengthen bilateral collaboration in biodiversity and biotechnology. Japan has shown interest in SBC's Algae Cultivation Facility and microalgae applications for biomass, feedstock, biofuel, food, and health supplements.
• Griffith University, AustraliamoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Dr Ujang Tinggi, Associate Professor at Griffith University, conducted a public talk on analytical technologies for food provenance, authenticity and quality at SBC, indicating ongoing academic collaboration.
• Spice and Beverage Research Institute, CATASmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2019Delegation from the Spice and Beverage Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Science visited SBC to explore research collaboration opportunities in tropical botanical research.
• Sarawak Energy Resources (SER) Sdn BhdmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2019Discussion on potential rehabilitation projects, algae as renewable energy, and community CSR programmes. SER is a subsidiary of Sarawak Energy Berhad exploring potential collaborations with SBC on environmental and energy projects.
• Mitsubishi CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2019Mitsubishi Corporation has made multiple visits to SBC to discuss algae cultivation facility development and potential commercialization of microalgae products. Mr Motoki Ito and Mr Minuro Aizawa visited to check on facility progress and planted trees to commemorate visits.
• Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2016Dr Zhou Meiliang, Group Leader at the Biotechnology Research Institute of CAAS, Beijing, visited SBC for collaboration discussions on biotechnology research.
• BioVerde Technologies Sdn BhdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBC's subsidiary company focused on commercialization of bio-based products. BioVerde participates in SBC's ESG initiatives including tree planting and represents the commercial arm of SBC's biodiversity commercialization efforts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Sabah Parks: Sabah Parks is the equivalent statutory authority for Sabah, the neighboring Malaysian state to Sarawak. Operating in the same country and Bornean biodiversity zone, it shares SBC's biodiversity conservation mandate and statutory governance model.
• National Parks Board Singapore (NParks): NParks is Singapore's statutory board for biodiversity conservation, parks management, and nature-based R&D. As a regional statutory peer with combined regulatory and scientific mandate, it is the closest developed-economy comparable operating model to SBC.

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Conservation International is a global environmental NGO with a similar combined scope of biodiversity conservation, policy advocacy, and partnerships with multinational corporations and governments - comparable in mandate and partnership model to SBC.
• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): WCS operates the Bronx Zoo and a global portfolio of wildlife conservation programmes. Its combined research, education, and applied conservation mandate aligns with SBC's research-to-public-good and commercialization approach.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC): TNC is one of the world's largest environmental NGOs with a science-driven, market-engagement approach to biodiversity conservation and corporate partnerships - paralleling SBC's commercialization initiatives and ESG-aligned reforestation work.
• Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI): STRI operates a global tropical research network with sites in Panama and beyond. Its frontier tropical biodiversity science mandate, multi-country partnerships, and diverse funding mix closely mirror SBC's mission and operational scope.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Kew is one of the world's leading botanical research institutions with a globally significant plant genetic resource collection, operating an analogous scientific-to-public-good model and providing reference standards similar to SBC's Silvestrol Reference Material.
• Bioversity International (Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT): Bioversity International (now part of the CGIAR Alliance) is the leading global research organization on agricultural and forest biodiversity, addressing the same science-policy-society interface and benefit-sharing complexities that SBC navigates through its LitSara and ABS programmes.

Others

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD Secretariat): The CBD is the UN intergovernmental treaty whose Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing SBC's ABS framework operationalizes at the national level. While not a competitor, it is the defining regulatory ecosystem reference for SBC's commercial model and compliance posture.

Direct peers

• INBio (Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad): Costa Rica's national biodiversity institute is the closest structural peer to SBC, having pioneered the natural product library and Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) model that SBC operationalizes today. Both are national statutory bodies converting biodiversity into commercial IP via research-to-market pipelines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SbcOrgMy
• Facebookfacebook.com/sarawak.biodiversity.centre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sarawak-biodiversity-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sarawak Biodiversity Centre