INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Timor-Leste leaps into the digital economy
Smart Hub stands as a national model for inclusive growth, digital innovation, and strategic foreign investment.
In a landmark display of visionary public-private collaboration, the Special Administrative Region of Oecusse-Ambeno( RAEOA) and Core Management Corporation( CMC) have unveiled a bold, multi-sector development strategy to position Oecusse as Timor- Leste’ s premier hub for digital innovation, sustainable tourism and green energy.
At the heart of this transformation lies the Oecusse Digital Centre( ODC) Smart Hub – a pioneering 140- acre integrated development forming the country’ s first future-ready smart city.
The ODC will drive Timor-Leste’ s leap into the digital economy, housing the nation’ s first licensed online support and international call centre operations, advanced data centres, tech parks, global education and medical campuses and smart residential communities.
Designed to accommodate up to 150,000 workers and residents, the Smart Hub is said to stand as a national model for inclusive growth, digital innovation, and strategic foreign investment.
To power this transformation, RAEOA and CMC have partnered with Weidun Energy to develop Timor-Leste’ s largest renewable energy project – a 50 MW solar farm designed to deliver clean, stable, and scalable energy to the ODC and surrounding infrastructure.
Under the first agreement signed with the Government of RAEOA, Phase 1( 4 MW) has already commenced and will secure energy needs for critical infrastructure, while reinforcing Timor-Leste’ s commitment to sustainable national development.
H. E. Rogério Lobato, President, RAEOA, said:“ This marks a defining moment for Oecusse and for Timor- Leste. This partnership will generate thousands of local jobs, uplift our communities and significantly raise the standard of living for our people. We are building a new national narrative – one rooted in innovation, sustainability and international cooperation.”
Dr. Ken Lim, Chairman, of CMC, said:“ This project is not just about powering infrastructure – it’ s about securing the future of Oecusse. The solar farm will provide clean, reliable energy for the ODC and future developments such as data centres, while creating jobs and attracting responsible global capital. And this is just the beginning – several more high-impact projects and international collaborations are in the pipeline and will be unveiled in the coming months.”
Guo Chen, CEO, Weidun Energy, said:“ We are proud to work alongside RAEOA and CMC to deliver the country’ s most significant green energy project. With Phase 1 already underway, we’ re deploying scalable solar solutions to power sustainable progress – not just for infrastructure, but for the future of Timor-Leste.”
CMC’ s bold and integrated vision has sparked global investor interest. A landmark joint venture is now nearing finalization with a world-renowned international conglomerate. The partnership will co-develop nextgeneration smart infrastructure and high-capacity data centres within the ODC – placing Oecusse at the forefront of Southeast Asia’ s digital frontier. p
28 INTELLIGENTCIO APAC www. intelligentcio. com