Canada has strengthened its ties with the ASEAN nations through investing an additional C$226,000 into the BlackBerry Ltd (TSE: BB) (NYSE: BB) (FRA: RI1) Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in Malaysia.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the government’s decision to make the contribution at last month’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Kuala Lumpur. It was his first official visit to the country since taking office.
“We have announced an investment to expand that centre into an international hub for cyber intelligence and security innovation,” Carney said in a recent speech, “something I discussed this afternoon with [Malaysian] Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.”
The funds, provided by Global Affairs Canada, will be used to “upskill and train cyber-defenders” throughout Southeast Asia, according to a statement from BlackBerry. It will support specialized programming for these technology scholars scheduled throughout next year.
“In addition to the ASEAN curriculum expansion, the facility is also undergoing a transformative upgrade featuring high-performance labs, a cyber ‘war room,’ a Security Operations Centre simulator, and interactive kiosks,” BlackBerry explained in a news release on Oct. 28.
The development occurred in tandem with a newly signed memorandum of understanding between the Canadian software company and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Their multi-year partnership seeks to educate a new generation of software engineers and cyber technology experts. Its primary goals are developing a curriculum that meets modern tech requirements; advancing research in embedded systems, cybersecurity and secure communication technologies; providing leadership opportunities for students; and supporting underprivileged young people with ethical cyber training.
In relation, the university and BlackBerry will also be partnering with Malaysia’s National Cyber Security Agency for an endeavour called the Trustworthy Professionals Program. Fifty disadvantaged youth will be trained in cybersecurity know-how through the initiative.
“By working with institutions like Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, we’re helping to develop the skilled talent and technologies that will drive shared prosperity across the region,” said Maninder Sidhu, Canadian Minister of International Trade.
Did you know BlackBerry supports over 1,600 jobs in Canada?
Today’s agreement between @BlackBerry and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia will create new opportunities for Canada and Malaysia to collaborate in cybersecurity and advanced software. 🇨🇦🤝🇲🇾
We are seizing every… pic.twitter.com/4TZhCGJRyI
— Maninder Sidhu (@MSidhuLiberal) October 27, 2025
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BlackBerry facility opened its doors last year
The complex was first established through a partnership with the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission in 2022. It was formally inaugurated in March of 2024 before receiving C$3.9 million in backing from the Canadian government in November that year.
“With our government’s investment in Malaysia’s Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in collaboration with BlackBerry, Canada will share cyber-expertise, train the cyber workforce across ASEAN countries, increase public-private sector collaboration, and strengthen our collective capacity to counter, deter and respond to cyberthreats,” said former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a statement on Nov. 18.
To date, the facility has trained more than 5,500 people through 55 courses and over 36,000 hours of lessons.
This month, the school will be teaching courses on cybersecurity awareness, cloud computing, careers in cybersecurity and the applications of AI in cybersecurity.
Training partners of the Cyberjaya-headquartered complex include Toronto Metropolitan University; the prestigious SysAdmin, Audit, Network and Security (SANS) Institute; and the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2).
In recent years through initiatives like Malaysia’s Green Technology Master Plan, Malaysian officials have sought to collaborate with Canada in artificial intelligence, cleantech, hydrogen, ocean technologies and marine security. The latest cybersecurity investment is the newest development in the longstanding relationship between the countries.
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