Offshore Energy Survey: Fugro has been awarded an underwater survey contract in Timor-Leste to support Greater Sunrise and Bayu-Undan pipeline and engineering planning, using autonomous underwater vehicle work plus geophysical and seismic surveys, with mobilisation planned for Q3 2026 and offshore operations in Q4. Power Investment: Timor-Leste secured $85.7m for its first utility-scale solar-plus-storage and first independent power producer project—73.7MW solar paired with 80.2MWh batteries—backed by ADB, IFC, JICA, plus concessional funding from the World Bank Group and Canada, with power sold under a 25-year deal to EDT. Telecoms Upgrade: Timor-Leste launched commercial fibre-optic internet services via state company Timor-Leste Cables after completion of a 607km undersea cable to Darwin, with services delivered through TT, Telemor, Telecomcel and 20+ local providers. Digital Compliance Funding: Dili, an AI compliance platform, announced $21.7m total funding (including a $15m Series A led by Khosla Ventures), highlighting real-time checks for construction-related wage and labour rules—relevant to infrastructure delivery pipelines. Public Administration Moves: The Council of Ministers approved measures to suspend civil-servant recruitment and “temporary workers” hiring to curb public administration growth, with exceptions for key roles and shortages. Agriculture & Livestock Health: A community-led brucellosis control effort in Timor-Leste focused on safer handling of births, farmer training, improved reporting, and support for testing and a pilot vaccination program. Regional Trade & Connectivity: A survey on mainland Chinese firms’ Asean expansion lists East Timor among member states, while new intra-Asia subsea cables point to rising bandwidth demand across the region.