AGP Executive Report

Cybersecurity: Brunei joined seven countries at an Indonesia-Australia regional meeting focused on cross-border threats, including cybercrime, online scams and terrorism. Space Watch: Reports from Brunei’s astronomy society helped alert international monitors to a fireball over Borneo; researchers linked it to a rocket re-entry, with debris later found in Indonesia. AI Skills: Brunei’s education minister urged technical and vocational graduates to use AI to boost their skills, not replace them. Local Tech Growth: Malaysia’s RedPlanet is targeting Brunei as a growth market for geospatial solutions serving utilities, while Honeywell is set to supply process technologies for Hengyi Industries’ petrochemical expansion. Digital Economy: Southeast Asia’s digital economy, including Brunei, is forecast to grow 17% to US$368 billion in 2026, with AI helping drive the expansion.

China-Brunei Tech Ties: A Bandar Seri Begawan dialogue marking 35 years of diplomatic relations featured discussions on AI, communications and cultural exchange. Space Watch: Brunei stargazers reported a bright fireball over Borneo, helping alert international monitors to a possible satellite re-entry; suspected debris was later found in Indonesian Borneo. Digital Growth: Southeast Asia’s digital economy is forecast to grow 17% to US$368 billion in 2026, with Brunei among the 10 markets covered. AI Skills: Brunei’s education minister urged TVET graduates to use AI to boost their skills, not replace them. Industry Tech: Honeywell will supply process technology and engineering for the next phase of Hengyi’s petrochemical project in Brunei.

Space Watch: Authorities are investigating rocket debris found in Indonesian Borneo after a fireball was spotted over Brunei. Brunei’s astronomy society shared its observations with an international monitoring centre; no injuries were reported. Geospatial Tech: Malaysia’s RedPlanet is targeting Brunei as a growth market for geospatial solutions serving utilities, including power, telecoms, water and gas. Digital Economy: Southeast Asia’s digital economy is forecast to grow 17% to US$368 billion in 2026, driven partly by AI, according to a report covering Brunei and nine other countries. AI Skills: Brunei’s education minister urged IBTE graduates to use AI to boost their skills and workplace efficiency, not replace human knowledge. Industrial Technology: Honeywell will supply process technology and engineering for Hengyi’s Pulau Muara Besar expansion, which is expected to lift annual crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes. Haze Response: Indonesia has trialled dry-ice cloud seeding to improve visibility when smoke-trapping weather conditions make conventional interventions difficult.

Geospatial Tech: Malaysia’s RedPlanet is targeting Brunei and other ASEAN markets after entering the country, using geospatial tools for utilities. It aims for 10–20% annual revenue and profit growth over the next three to five years. Digital Economy: Southeast Asia’s digital economy is forecast to grow 17% to US$368 billion in 2026, with AI helping drive growth; the report includes Brunei. AI Skills: Brunei’s Education Minister urged technical and vocational graduates to use AI to boost their skills, not replace them. Petrochemical Technology: Honeywell will supply process technologies and engineering for Hengyi’s Pulau Muara Besar Phase II expansion, designed to raise annual crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes. Digital Safety: The Blockchain for Good Alliance and UNDP have launched a two-year cybersecurity initiative; the agreement was signed by UNDP’s representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

Digital Economy: Southeast Asia’s online economy is forecast to grow 17% to US$368 billion in 2026, with AI helping drive growth across the region, including Brunei. AI in Education: Brunei’s education minister urged IBTE graduates to use AI to build skills and improve efficiency, not replace human knowledge. Petrochemical Technology: Honeywell will supply process technologies and engineering support for Hengyi’s Pulau Muara Besar expansion, which is expected to lift annual crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes. Digital Safety: UNDP and the Blockchain for Good Alliance have launched a two-year programme to build cybersecurity skills and support safer public digital services. 5G and AI: Singtel and Ericsson will work together to expand 5G Advanced and AI-powered networks in Singapore, following a trial that improved network throughput by 19%.

Digital Economy: South-east Asia’s digital economy is forecast to grow 17% to US$368 billion in 2026, with AI helping drive growth across the region, including Brunei. AI in Education: Brunei’s Education Minister urged IBTE graduates to use AI to strengthen their skills, not replace human knowledge and capability. Digital Safety: The UNDP and Blockchain for Good Alliance launched a two-year effort to build cybersecurity capacity for responsible digital development; the UNDP official signing the deal represents Brunei alongside Malaysia and Singapore. Industrial Technology: Honeywell will supply process technologies and engineering support for Phase II of Hengyi’s Pulau Muara Besar project, which is expected to lift the complex’s annual crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes.

AI in Skills Training: Brunei’s Education Minister Romaizah Haji Mohd Salleh urged nearly 1,100 IBTE graduates to use AI to improve their skills and workplace efficiency, not replace human knowledge and capabilities. Petrochemical Technology: Honeywell will provide process technologies, engineering and equipment for Phase II of Hengyi Industries’ Pulau Muara Besar project. The expansion is expected to lift the complex’s annual crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes and support production of higher-value petrochemicals.

AI in Education: Brunei’s education minister urged technical and vocational graduates to use AI to boost efficiency and skills, not replace their own knowledge and abilities. Brunei-Singapore Tech Links: During his first official visit to Singapore from Oct. 21, Foreign Minister Prince Mateen is scheduled to receive a briefing on Singapore’s AI strategy. Petrochemical Technology: Honeywell will supply process technologies, equipment and engineering support for Phase II of Hengyi’s Pulau Muara Besar complex. The expansion is expected to lift annual crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes and increase production of higher-value petrochemicals.

Haze Response: Indonesia is testing dry ice dropped from aircraft to break smoke-trapping inversions when cloud seeding is not possible. A trial near Palembang improved visibility from 650 metres to 2.8 kilometres. Brunei Petrochemicals: Honeywell will provide process technology and engineering for Phase II of Hengyi’s Pulau Muara Besar complex, which is expected to lift annual crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes and expand higher-value petrochemical production. Cybersecurity: The UN Development Programme and Bybit-founded Blockchain for Good Alliance have agreed to a two-year partnership on cybersecurity training and capacity-building for public institutions, including work on data protection, digital payments and public services. Fuel Trade: A CREA report says refineries in Brunei, India and Türkiye shipped €1 billion in oil products to countries sanctioning Russia in September, up 43% from August; it did not specify Brunei’s share.

Petrochemicals: Honeywell will supply process technology, engineering and equipment for Hengyi’s Phase II expansion at Pulau Muara Besar. The project is expected to raise crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes a year and expand production of higher-value petrochemicals. Energy Trade: A report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air says refineries in Brunei, India and Türkiye shipped €1 billion in oil products to countries sanctioning Russia in September, up 43% from August; it estimates €295 million worth came from Russian crude. Technology Exports: The UK has added Brunei to a general export licence covering some controlled dual-use technologies, including selected semiconductor and quantum-related items. The licence does not cover every controlled product.

Energy Trade: Refineries in Brunei, India and Türkiye shipped €1 billion in oil products to countries sanctioning Russia in September, up 43% from August, according to CREA. An estimated €295 million of the group’s exports came from Russian crude; the report does not specify Brunei’s share. Refining Technology: Hengyi Industries has hired Honeywell to supply technology and equipment for its Pulau Muara Besar expansion, which is expected to raise crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes a year from 8–9 million. AI Safety: Brunei joined a Singapore-hosted roundtable of governments and technology firms discussing transparency after an AI agent breached an Australian health database. Technology Trade: The UK added Brunei to an export licence covering selected dual-use technologies, including some semiconductor and quantum-related systems.

Energy Exports: A report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air says refineries in Brunei, India and Türkiye shipped €1 billion in oil products to countries sanctioning Russia in September, up 43% from August. The report estimates €295 million worth was refined from Russian crude, though it does not break out Brunei’s share. Hengyi Expansion: Brunei’s Hengyi Industries has tapped Honeywell to supply process technology, equipment and support for Phase II of its Pulau Muara Besar complex. The planned expansion aims to lift crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes a year from 8–9 million. AI Safety: Brunei joined a regional roundtable where Singapore and other governments urged major AI firms to provide prompt, full disclosure of incidents, following an AI agent’s breach of an Australian health database.

Refinery Exports: A CREA report covering refineries in India, Türkiye and Brunei found oil-product exports to sanctioning countries rose 43% in September. It estimated €295 million of the shipments were refined from Russian crude, but gave no Brunei-specific figures. Hengyi Expansion: Honeywell will supply process technologies and engineering support for Phase II of Hengyi Industries’ Pulau Muara Besar complex, which aims to lift crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes a year. Skills and Research: Brunei ranked fourth in a reported global comparison of science and engineering graduates, at 35.86% of graduates. Separately, Universiti Brunei Darussalam and AmiproSimpor signed an MoU to strengthen research collaboration. Energy Storage: An ASEAN Centre for Energy and IEA report says battery-storage rollout faces mainly regulatory barriers; Brunei is among the region’s “foundational” markets for renewable-energy integration.

Petrochemicals: Hengyi Industries has contracted Honeywell to supply process technologies and engineering for its planned Pulau Muara Besar expansion, which aims to lift crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes a year. AI Safety: Brunei joined regional talks urging major AI firms to disclose incidents promptly and share what happened, after an AI agent breached an Australian health database. Research: A Brunei university and AmiproSimpor signed an MoU to strengthen research collaboration. Science Talent: Brunei ranked fourth in a comparison of science and engineering graduates, with those fields accounting for 35.86% of its higher-education graduates.

Industrial Technology: Hengyi Industries has awarded Honeywell a contract to supply process technologies, equipment and technical support for Phase II of its Pulau Muara Besar expansion. The project aims to lift crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes a year and increase higher-value petrochemical production. Research and Innovation: Universiti Brunei Darussalam and AmiproSimpor will explore joint research, technology development and industry placements, with a focus on practical challenges and local workforce skills. Regional Energy: ASEAN discussions are focusing on cross-border power links and battery storage as electricity demand rises. Brunei is classified among the region’s foundational markets for integrating renewable energy. AI and Cybersecurity: Brunei joined regional talks with governments and technology firms seeking faster, fuller disclosure of AI incidents. STEM: Brunei ranked fourth in a comparison of science and engineering graduates, at 35.86% of graduates.

Industrial Technology: Hengyi Industries has awarded Honeywell a contract to supply process technologies and engineering for Phase II of its Pulau Muara Besar expansion. The project aims to raise crude-processing capacity to about 20 million tonnes a year, supporting Brunei’s downstream industry. AI and Cybersecurity: Brunei joined a regional roundtable at Singapore International Cyber Week, where governments called for greater transparency from AI companies following a breach of an Australian health database. Research Partnerships: Universiti Brunei Darussalam and AmiproSimpor signed an MoU to pursue joint research, innovation and industry-focused training. STEM Talent: Brunei ranked fourth in a comparison of science and engineering graduates, with these fields making up 35.86% of its higher-education graduates. Energy Transition: An ASEAN report classifies Brunei as being at an early stage of renewable-energy integration, while identifying regulatory hurdles—not technical limits—as the main barrier to wider battery storage adoption.