KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 – Great Eastern Takaful Berhad (GETB), in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) through the Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIRO), successfully concluded the GREAT Innovation Challenge (GIC) 2026, a national innovation competition promoting AI-driven sustainability and smart plastic waste transformation.

Strategically supported by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Kuala Lumpur Subsection and the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM), the programme aimed to strengthen academia-industry collaboration and advance practical innovation aligned with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles.

The initiative brought together university students from across Malaysia to develop intelligent prototype systems capable of transforming plastic waste into high-value products through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and sustainable engineering practices.

Launched in September 2025, the two-year programme guided participants through concept development, technical workshops, prototype construction, and real-world testing before culminating in the Grand Finale and Award Ceremony held at UTM Kuala Lumpur.

A total of 32 teams from public and private higher education institutions nationwide participated in the challenge. Following rigorous evaluations, 12 teams were shortlisted, while five finalist teams received prototype development grants worth RM8,000 each to further refine their solutions.

The competition focused on developing semi-automated and AI-enhanced recycling systems capable of processing High Density Polyethylene and Polypropylene (PP) plastic waste into reusable and commercially valuable products. Participants were evaluated based on innovation, technical functionality, scalability, usability, and environmental impact.

Speaking during the closing ceremony, GETB’s appointed representative, Jasveen Kaur Marne, highlighted the importance of sustainability awareness and the role of upcycling in addressing plastic waste challenges.

“The GREAT Innovation Challenge is not only about developing innovative prototypes, but also about creating greater awareness on upcycling, responsible consumption, and sustainability. Through this programme, we hope to inspire young innovators to see plastic waste not as the end of a product lifecycle, but as a valuable resource that can be transformed into something useful and impactful,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Head of UTM Campus (Kuala Lumpur Branch), Prof. Dr. Fauziah Sh. Ahmad emphasised that the programme provided students with a valuable platform to transform ideas into practical and impactful innovations through the application of AI and emerging technologies.

“Innovation today must go beyond ideas. It must be supported by technology, critical thinking, and the ability to solve real-world problems. This programme demonstrates how AI, automation, and engineering knowledge can be applied meaningfully to create solutions that are practical, scalable, and relevant to the needs of society and industry,” she said.

As the technical and academic lead of the programme, CAIRO UTM, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Ibrahim Shapiai @ Abd. Razak provided a collaborative platform for participants to receive training, mentoring, and technical guidance from CAIRO and its strategic collaborators, covering areas from AI and automation to sustainability and ESG principles.

Through this platform, participants were mentored on AI integration, intelligent automation systems, sustainable manufacturing, machine vision, Internet of Things (IoT) implementation, and smart recycling technologies. The training and mentoring provided enabled them to translate their ideas into practical, scalable, and impactful prototype solutions.

At the final showcase, Team Vanta emerged as the overall champion and received RM12,000 for its highly practical and innovative solution. Team Green AI Innovator secured second place with RM8,000, while Team PVD won third place and received RM5,000. Additional consolation prizes were awarded to Codespark and Monoglobal for their promising innovations.

Through initiatives such as the GREAT Innovation Challenge, CAIRO UTM continues to strengthen its role as a leading centre of excellence in AI and robotics, driving sustainable innovation development in Malaysia through applied research, talent development, and industry collaboration.