JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 3 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), through its Innovation and Commercialisation Centre (ICC), played a key role as co-organiser of the Cradle LIVE! Roadshow Southern: Johor 2025, held at DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru. The one-day programme, organised by Cradle Fund under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), brought together a vibrant mix of startups, ecosystem partners, policymakers, researchers and aspiring entrepreneurs for a series of panels, masterclasses, networking activities and pitching sessions.
As part of its co-organising role, UTM mobilised strong participation from within its community. A total of 12 groups from UTM comprising newly established spin-offs, final semester student companies, and R&D teams preparing to commercialise their innovations registered for the Cradle LIVE! PITCH IT competition. In addition, more than 50 UTM participants drawn from different faculties and research centres joined the roadshow as attendees, ensuring that the university’s talent pool was well represented across both pitching and learning components of the event.
The roadshow served as a dynamic platform to expose UTM researchers and students to the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem. Beyond the pitching sessions, the agenda featured engaging fireside chats, panels, and masterclasses, where UTM participants learned directly from experienced founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders. Sessions highlighted key themes such as startup fundraising, market validation strategies, and approaches to scaling innovation beyond the academic environment. The programme also included networking activities, allowing participants to build meaningful connections with industry partners, potential collaborators, and fellow innovators.
The day concluded with the Cradle LIVE! PITCH IT competition, which saw three teams emerging as winners. The winning teams were Green Hydro Tech, led by Ts. Dr. Fariza Hanim Suhailin; BioCell Green, led by Dr. Nur Hidayah Ahmad; and Embedded System, led by Dr. Zulfakar Aspar.
The recognition of these teams not only celebrated their innovation but also reflected the strong pipeline of commercialisable technologies emerging from UTM researchers.
UTM’s involvement in the roadshow underscores the university’s broader strategy to translate research into real-world applications and commercial ventures. By supporting its researchers and students to pitch their ideas, gain entrepreneurial knowledge, and connect with ecosystem players, UTM continues to nurture a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. This aligns with the university’s mission to contribute solutions with societal and economic impact, while positioning Johor as a growing hub within Malaysia’s national startup landscape.