JOHOR BAHRU, Jul 1 – The world is asking industries to achieve what once seemed impossible, to produce more with less energy, less water, fewer emissions and greater resilience, while remaining globally competitive.

From decarbonisation and circular manufacturing to industrial symbiosis, value chain optimisation and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), the industries of tomorrow will require engineers who can think beyond individual factories and design integrated industrial ecosystems.

This transformation is equally relevant to Malaysia as it advances the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030) and its aspiration to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as early as 2050.

Recognising this shift, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), through its Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering (FKT), in collaboration with the UTM Road to National Chemical Engineering Symposium (NACES) 2026 programme, successfully concluded its 6th Net-Zero Verbund Plant Design Project Challenge, a flagship capstone competition that is redefining how future chemical engineers are prepared for an increasingly interconnected and sustainable industrial future.

The challenge involved 160 final-year Chemical Engineering students, who spent two semesters designing integrated net-zero eco-industrial parks under the guidance of 15 industrial supervisors from leading organisations, including PETRONAS, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), Lhoist, Synthomer, Idemitsu, Super Food Specialists, Dialogue Terminals Operations, SD Guthrie and Century Bond. Their work was evaluated by 10 experienced industrial engineers, ensuring that every design was assessed against real industrial expectations and professional engineering practice. The competition culminated in an award ceremony recognising outstanding projects, with prizes sponsored by JTS Engineering Sdn. Bhd. and Optimal Systems Engineering Sdn. Bhd., reflecting the industry’s continued support for nurturing the next generation of engineering talent.

The initiative reflects UTM’s commitment under UTM ASCEND 2030 to develop globally competent graduates who create meaningful impact for industry and society through experiential, industry-driven learning.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), industry accounts for approximately 25% of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, while the chemical sector remains the world’s largest industrial energy consumer. As industries pursue greater productivity alongside lower emissions, future engineers will be expected not only to design safe and efficient plants, but also to optimise entire industrial value chains by integrating energy, resources, infrastructure and sustainability into a single engineering solution.

That is precisely what distinguishes UTM’s Net-Zero Verbund Plant Design Project.

Unlike conventional plant design projects, where student teams independently design a single process plant, UTM adopts the proven Verbund philosophy practised in leading industrial complexes around the world. Students work collaboratively to develop an integrated eco-industrial park, where neighbouring plants exchange steam, utilities, water, hydrogen, raw materials and by-products to improve the overall performance of the industrial ecosystem.

Throughout the project, students develop complete engineering designs for their assigned plants while collectively identifying opportunities for process integration, waste heat recovery, utility optimisation, industrial symbiosis, water reuse, renewable energy integration, carbon utilisation and potential CCUS pathways. Rather than optimising individual facilities, they evaluate how engineering decisions influence the efficiency, sustainability, resilience and competitiveness of the entire industrial value chain.

By the end of the project, students deliver comprehensive engineering design packages comprising process simulations, process flow diagrams, heat and material balances, equipment sizing, utility integration strategies, process safety studies, techno-economic evaluations and sustainability assessments. More importantly, they experience what engineering practice is truly about, working across multidisciplinary teams, balancing technical, commercial and environmental considerations, and making decisions that optimise an entire industrial ecosystem rather than a single plant.

These experiences develop competencies increasingly sought by employers worldwide: systems thinking, value chain optimisation, multidisciplinary collaboration, engineering judgement, communication and the ability to integrate sustainability into engineering decision-making.

Dean of FKT, Prof. Dr. Mat Uzir Wahit, said the future of engineering lies in preparing graduates who can connect technologies, industries and people.

“The engineering challenges of the future cannot be solved by optimising individual plants alone. Engineers must understand how energy, resources, infrastructure and carbon management interact across entire industrial systems. Through the Net-Zero Verbund Plant Design Project, we are preparing graduates who can integrate these elements into practical engineering solutions, engineers who are ready to contribute not only to Malaysia’s industrial transformation, but also to the future of global manufacturing.”

Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, Assoc. Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Muhammad Arif Ab Aziz said the competition provides students with an authentic learning experience rarely found in a conventional classroom.

“Our students do far more than complete a design assignment. They experience how modern industries operate, where engineering decisions must balance process performance, business competitiveness, sustainability and collaboration across interconnected facilities. By working alongside industrial supervisors and presenting their work to experienced industry panels, they graduate with the confidence and competencies expected of future engineering professionals.”

Now in its sixth year, the Net-Zero Verbund Plant Design Project Challenge has become one of UTM’s signature educational innovations, strengthening collaboration between academia and industry while preparing graduates for the evolving needs of the global process industries.

As industries around the world transition towards a lower-carbon, more circular and more resilient future, competitive advantage will increasingly depend on engineers who can integrate technologies, optimise industrial value chains and transform complex challenges into sustainable opportunities. Through the Net-Zero Verbund Plant Design Project Challenge, UTM is preparing graduates not just to design process plants, but to help shape the industries of tomorrow.