The twenty-first century will see an intense demand for information and knowledge. Trade liberalisation will offer expanding markets opportunities only to be
reaped with market intelligence in the knowledge economy. Even businesses confined within national boundaries will need information to respond adequately to foreign competition. Besides serving as inputs to the business, industrial and entrepreneurial
community, information and knowledge will also be the end-products for the increasingly sophisticated consuming public. Recognising the challenges of the new
millennium, the Ministry of Industrial Development, Sarawak (MID) established the Sarawak Industrial and Entrepreneurial Information Centre (SIEIC) way back in 1995 (see Appendix 1 on Objectives, Functions, Activities and Facilities of SIEIC). The socio-economic and political scenario has changed drastically since 1995.
The accelerated development of information technology (IT) has brought forth new opportunities as well as threats. Inter-governmental negotiations in the World Trade
Organisation and various economic groupings are already in place. They will impinge on the Malaysian economy in general and the Sarawak economy in particular. The
Asian financial crisis in 1997 and the ensuing economic recession have impacted on the local community. Malaysia's foreign exchange control and attempts at financial and banking restructuring thereafter further changes the business and investment climate. Above all is the resource constraint in achieving aspired objectives and
targets
