JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 3 – The Industrial Art and Technology Exhibition (INATEX) 2024 wrapped up today, highlighting a remarkable showcase of innovation and creativity under the theme “Navigating the Future through Sustainable Innovative Development.” The event featured 41 participants for the invention competition from diverse fields and saw collaboration from 20 industries and agencies at Persada Johor International Convention Centre, Johor Bahru, Johor.
This year, the UTM Innovation and Commercialisation Centre (UTM ICC) had the honour of organising INATEX 2024 under the leadership of Dr. Ma Kalthum Ishak, the INATEX 2024 Programme Director. The event was held in collaboration with four other major initiatives from UTM Global Connect 2024: the World Technology Universities Congress (WTUC), the New Academia Learning Innovation (NALI) program, the Festival Inovasi 2024, and Leaders Go Global.
The Award Ceremony was officiated by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Research & Innovation) representative, Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Roshanida A. Rahman, Chair of Health and Wellness Research Alliance.
“INATEX has been a flagship program of the Department of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) since its inception in 2017, providing a vital platform for researchers and experts to present their creative inventions and innovative products. This year’s theme resonated deeply with our commitment to fostering networking and commercial opportunities, emphasizing our dedication to research and innovation”, she said.
Also present were Prof. Madya Ts. Dr. Mohamad Zaki Hassan, Director of Administration, Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), UTM Kuala Lumpur; Prof. Madya Ts. Dr. Noor Azurati Ahmad@Salleh, Director of UTM ICC; Hjh. Nor Azizah Ismail, Registrar, UTM; Dr. Ma Kalthum Ishak, INATEX 2024 Programme Director and Deputy Director of UTM ICC; and Hjh. Hartini Darsono, Deputy Registrar, Organisational Management Division and Festival Inovasi 2024 Programme Director.
During the Award Winning Ceremony, they celebrated 7 Gold Award winners, 8 Silver Award winners, and 12 Bronze Award winners. For the Special Award (Community), Ts. Dr. Jaysuman Pusppanathan won with his project titled Drone Edu Challenge IR 4.0 (DEC4IR). The Special Award (Commercialisation) was awarded to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohamad Hafis Izran Ishak for his project MYREDS – Resident Easy Decision System. Meanwhile, Ts. Dr. Saiful Anuar Abu Bakar received double recognitions: the Special Award (Industry) and The Best Invention at INATEX 2024 for his project entitled Raw Water Pipeline Inspection Robot with Advanced Underwater Vision System. All the INATEX 2024 special awards were presented during the UTM Global Connect 2024 Closing Ceremony.
In addition to the exhibition and competition, several other sessions were held during the two-day event. The Maverick Sharing Sessions featured seven slots where researchers and industry leaders shared their innovations and expertise on the first day. Additionally, the ICON Talk Forum brought together Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Zainuddin Abd Manan from the Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering (FKT), UTM and Founder of Optimal Systems Engineering Sdn. Bhd. (a UTM spin-off company), along with Diyana Mohd Amin, Head of Sustainability & ESG at Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB), as panellists.
The discussion, moderated by Prof. Madya Ir. Ts. Dr. Mohd Khairi Abu Husain, Deputy Director of UTM ICC, focused on “Sustainable Pathways: Striking a Balance Between Economic Growth, Environmental Stewardship, and Social Equity”. On the same day, researchers presented their work during the Product Pitching UTM-Industry Grant session in front of industry panels. Concurrently, ICON Day showcased exhibitors from various industries, UTM spin-off companies and entities under the Department of Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation).
The exceptional contributions of all participants, emphasizing the event’s role in fostering a culture of research, innovation, and commercialisation which underscored UTM’s commitment to bridging the gap between academia and industry, enabling projects to address real-world challenges.
Authors: Ts. Dr. Norhayati Mohamed Noor & Dr. Ma Kalthum Ishak