JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 5 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has earned national recognition after winning the Gold Medal at the National Nuclear Innovation Award 2025, held in conjunction with the Malaysia Nuclear Innovation Day (HINM) 2025 on 3–4 September. The victory underscores Malaysia’s commitment to advancing nuclear innovation, strengthening academia–industry partnerships, and driving sustainable innovations with global potential.
Leading the winning project, Wireless Transmission System for Radiation Portal Monitoring (MyRPM), was Prof. Dr. Suhairul Hashim, supported by a strong collaboration including Billion Prima Sdn. Bhd. (BPSB), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), the Department of Atomic Energy Malaysia (Atom Malaysia), and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD).
Funded under the Malaysia Laboratories for Academia–Business Collaboration (MyLAB) 2/2020, the initiative secured RM1.09 million from the Jabatan Pengajian Tinggi (JPT) and RM551,000 from BPSB. The strong industrial collaboration with BPSB has been crucial in bridging laboratory research with commercialization, ensuring MyRPM’s readiness as an exportable security technology.
Developed and assembled entirely in Malaysia, MyRPM is the nation’s first ANSI N42.35-2016–compliant radiation portal monitor. It integrates dual gamma–neutron detection, modular architecture, real-time analytics, wireless communication, and cloud-enabled monitoring with integrated surveillance. Among its key features are enhanced radioactive source localization through time-coincidence detection and automated calibration with certified sources for greater operational reliability and accuracy.
The project is also backed by a strong intellectual property (IP) portfolio, including A System and Method for Characterising Radiation Detection [PI2025003947 (2025)], A System for Detecting Radioactive Material in Security Inspection [PI2024007339 (2024)], and MyRPM trademark [TM2023025563 (2024)].
This IP base underpins Malaysia’s ability to reduce reliance on foreign systems while strengthening global competitiveness. Strategically aligned with national security priorities and Industry 4.0, MyRPM demonstrates Malaysia’s capacity to transform research into export-ready nuclear security solutions through strong academia–industry collaboration and commercialization pathways.
In addition to the Gold Medal, MyRPM was also honoured with the Special Award from the Malaysian Association of Research Scientists (MARS), outshining 35 entries across six innovation categories: Environmental & Natural Resource Management, Industrial Applications, Food & Agriculture, Medicine & Healthcare, Nuclear Safety & Security, and Device & Equipment Manufacturing.
Prof. Dr. Suhairul Hashim, Project Leader of MyRPM, said, “This award is a testament to the power of collaboration between academia, industry, and government. With MyRPM, we are not only pushing the boundaries of nuclear innovation but also delivering tangible solutions that safeguard national security and facilitate global trade.”
The double win at HINM 2025 shows that UTM and Malaysia have what it takes to create homegrown technology that can compete on the world stage. More than just an award, MyRPM proves how teamwork between universities, industry and government can turn ideas in the lab into real solutions that protect the country and open doors to global opportunities.
