The Borneo Economic Community (BEC) is a subregional, business-driven multi-stakeholder platform aimed at realizing the vision of ASEAN Centrality and ASEAN Incorporated within the Borneo subregion. It brings together governments, businesses, investors, development institutions, academia, and civil society to advance economic integration, cross-border connectivity, and sustainable development across the island of Borneo.
Through a bottom-up approach — including initiatives such as the Borneo Economic Forum — promotes strategic dialogue, investment, policy coordination, and business collaboration to strengthen trade, industrial cooperation, and connectivity among Brunei Darussalam, the Indonesian provinces of Kalimantan, and the Malaysian states of Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan.
In doing so, it aims to:
Foster cooperation among key stakeholders across Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Promote trade, investment, and connectivity throughout the island.
Strengthen and empower the role of Borneo businesses in driving regional growth.
Borneo Economic Community's vision is to position Borneo as a globally competitive and integrated subregional growth engine within ASEAN.
This vision must be locally anchored and inclusively driven.
Borneo Economic Community Timeline
Establishment of BEC
On 5 September 2023, the BEC was formally established through the signing of the Statement of Cooperation (SoC) during the 2nd Borneo Business Roundtable, held as part of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) 2023 in Jakarta.
Inaugural of BEC
On 28 April 2023, the idea of the BEC was introduced during the Inaugural Borneo Economic Roundtable in Bandar Seri Begawan, held on the sidelines of the Brunei Business Conference 2023.
Inaugural of Borneo Economic Forum
On 13 August 2024, the Borneo Economic Community (BEC) convened the inaugural Borneo Economic Forum (BEF) in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, under the theme "Regional Connectivity: A Pathway to Inclusive Growth."
2nd Borneo Economic Forum
Building on the momentum of the inaugural Forum, BEC will convene the 2nd Borneo Economic Forum in 2026. This year's forum seeks to further advance discussions on Borneo's development priorities, with a particular focus on the importance of regional connectivity amid growing global uncertainty and fragmentation.