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  • 7/23/2019 Innovation Malaysia - 6 December 2015

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    SUNDAY STAR, 6 DECEMBER 2015

    special

    Creatingwealth

    through

    discovery

    INNOVATIONS MALAYSIA

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    innovations malaysiaSUNDAY STAR,

    6 DECEMBER 2015

    Foundations for the futureWENTY-FOUR years ago, ourion took a giant and ambitiousde to set Malaysians on assion to form a fully developedion by 2020.

    To achieve this goal, one of thellenges was for the rakyat to

    ablish a scientific andgressive society that isovative, forward-thinking and

    e that will not only be ansumer of technology but antributor to the scientific andhnological civilisation of theure.The nation has made big stridesce 1991 to realise this dreamd the Government has set up

    ncies such as Agensi Inovasilaysia (AIM) to spearhead theional innovation agenda and layfoundations to stimulate and

    velop the innovation ecosystemhe country.

    Through its six approaches toovation, AIM conducts andrsees a wide range of initiatives

    help create a design-thinkingiety.

    The first initiative of cultivatinghinking culture starts withcial programmes in primary

    d secondary schools, such asplementation of the i-THINKgramme and adopting theching methodologies of theernational Baccalaureate.

    AIM also established Genovasi, aign-thinking school catering toal-year graduates, graduates,ung professionals andrepreneurs.

    Other initiatives includeilitating crowdsourcing andllenge programmes that

    nerate innovative ideas for andsociety, facilitating industry-demia collaboration,nsforming strategic sectors andovating organisations byviding support programmest help them reach the next level

    business.

    urcing innovative

    me changersUnder the Budget 2016, nextr has been declared thelaysia Commercialisation Year.

    Ms sixth approach to innovationo catalyse on commercialisationnes up with this.

    As a result of such highportance placed on innovationd commercialisation, AIMl be allocated RM100mil for

    mmercialisation activitiesxt year doubling the amountocated this year.laTCOM Ventures, which is

    ommercialisation platformveloped by SME Corporationd AIM, will use this money tovide the necessary funding

    individuals and companies marily small and mediumerprises (SMEs) throughmultiple stages of

    mmercialisation.SMEs make up 97% of theinesses in the Malaysiandscape and they should beprime source to drive

    mmercialisation. We needee how we can encourage

    mmercialisation among them,

    says Mark Rozario, chief executiveofficer of AIM.

    The various steps tocommercialisation include havingan innovative idea that is uniqueand has never been seen before,protecting intellectual property,coming up with proof of concept toshow how the idea can work andlooking at how the product can bebrought to the market, which

    includes the areas of packaging,business plan and marketing.PlaTCOM offers the platform tohelp in all these steps, saysRozario.

    Investing in avibrant ecosystem

    Fifty companies have alreadybeen brought into this programmesince its launch last year and ithas aided a number of companieswith exceptionally interestingideas to obtain commercialsuccess.

    In this short space of time,some companies have beguncommercialisation and started

    selling their products in themarket. With this increasedbudget, we will extend whatwe have been doing on thecommercialisation front andsee how these successes canbe scaled up.

    This is in terms of getting morecompanies to join the programmeand identifying the gems who havethe potential to be runawaysuccesses, adds Rozario.

    Innovation, however, does nothappen overnight. Rozariocomments that the entire processof commercialisation can takeyears, depending on the product,and that breakthrough ideas arerare and far between.

    The additional funding fornext year will come a long wayin funding new and existingcompanies that are listed in theprogramme.

    Pushing forwardto the future

    AIM also works with othergovernment agencies such asYayasan Inovasi Malaysia (YIM),

    which looks at innovation at thegrassroots level.

    Rozario adds that projectsundertaken by YIM that are

    deemed to have a big commercialpotential can be broughtthrough PlaTCOM to help boostthem.

    Products that have the potentialto succeed on a global scale will becommercialised through anotherprogramme called EquityInvestments.

    Malaysia is on the right track tobecoming a country of innovativeand creative thinkers butcontinuous support has to be givento companies and individuals torealise their innovative ideas as weapproach 2020.

    There are a lot of great ideasout there but if people do not know

    how to commercialise or executethem, these ideas stay buried,concludes Rozario.

    nFor more information,call 03-8319 3116 or visitwww.innovation.my

    Guide to successDURING the inauguralInnovating Malaysia Conference(IMC) organised by Agensi

    Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) last year,Prime Minister Datuk Seri NajibRazak launched the NationalCorporate Innovation Index(NCII) to provide companies atoolkit that will give them acomprehensive managementsystem that takes a systematicand holistic approach tomanaging innovation.

    This toolkit helps companiesconduct a self-assessment ontheir operations, identify areasthat require new strategies andcome up with methods to trackthe changes made, says MarkRozario, chief executive officerof AIM.

    The NCII, which was created

    to institutionalise innovationand governance withinMalaysian companies, is part ofAIMs extensive efforts inensuring long-term sustainabilityof innovation in the country.

    It was developed thoughcollaborations with reputableinternational and local expertson innovation, management andmeasurement, including

    companies such as AirAsia Berhad and DigiTelecommunications Sdn Bhd.

    Adoption of the NCII toolkitallows companies to expeditetheir growth (be it in sales,market capitalisation,employment or regionalexpansion), increase Malaysiasglobal ranking on innovation,strengthen the innovationecosystem, establish clearinnovation investments andreturns plus leverage onintellectual capital.

    Rozario says, This index wasnot set up to rate companies interms of their innovation butrather to get companies to thinkabout innovation.

    Technology is growingexponentially across different

    disciplines and whentechnologies converge,disruptive innovations willappear. Companies need to beinnovative to prepare for whena convergence of technologieswill disrupt what they are doingas a business no matter whatindustry they are in.

    To illustrate this point, heprovides the example of how

    major telecommunicationcompanies now have to thinkout of the box to introduce

    new services as they can nolonger rely on providing abusiness that revolves aroundtelephone calls and shortmessaging services.

    The emergence of Wi-Ficonnectivity and mobileapplications such as Whatsapphas made traditionaltelecommunication servicesredundant.

    That is why under NCII, wehave developed a toolkit onwhat it means to be aninnovative company and to lookinto investing in innovation, hesays.

    At IMC 2015, the NCII onlinetoolkit was launched so that it

    may be adopted by a largergroup of interested companies.AIM is targeting to attract

    around 200 of Malaysias largercorporations to attend itsworkshops and make use of theNCII by the end of the year.

    Next year, the agency will belooking at tailoring this toolkit tobe adaptable for small andmedium sized enterprises (SME).

    Rozario says that SMEs make up97% of businesses in the Malaysialandscape and should be the primesource of commercialisation.

    PlaTCOM Ventures provides a platform to help companies through thevarious stages of commercialisation such as organising events forentrepreneurs to pitch their ideas to accredited investors.

    Agensi Inovasi Malaysia conducts NCII workshops for companies to use a management toolkit, which can beused to measure the level of innovation in their organisation.

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    innovations malaysiaSUNDAY STAR,

    6 DECEMBER 2015

    Lifeblood of a nationnecessity is the mother ofention, then innovation isated by the need for growth. Fors planet and everything on it,wth is lifeblood, without whichwould all decline and fade intohingness.

    Human nature dictates that weate and innovate expressingability and capacity for better

    utions, constant exploration andcoveries, effective processes,hnological advances andgressive improvement to oury of living.

    Universities and researchtitutes play a critical role in theent of innovation a country goes

    ough its development andgress aided by major leaps in

    hnology and breakthroughs,d through the application ofal know-how.Universities are the

    frontrunners in the creation ofnew ideas, knowledge andinnovations. They are responsiblefor leading and shaping futuresocieties, says Dr Chong MengNan, senior lecturer and head ofthe chemical engineering disciplineat the School of Engineering ofMonash University Malaysia.

    Malaysia is on the journey ofbecoming a developed country andwe need to educate the generalpublic about the fact that researchand development work boostsinnovation, further strengthensour economy and knowledge base,and trains professional workforcein the country, he continues.

    Innovation has to be somethingdifferent, including ideas adaptedto a countrys needs. There must betweaks within each idea for it towork in the country, says MarkRozario, chief executive officer

    at Agensi Inovasi Malaysia,a statutory body created to

    jump-start wealth creationin the nation throughinnovation.

    Malaysia will not achieveits targeted gross domesticproduct per capita by only growingbusinesses organically. Innovationplays a big part and that is why it isgiven so much emphasis.

    Innovation plays a big part indriving the nations developmentplans forward. For example, one ofSirims latest projects led to theinvention of a Malaysian carbonfootprint calculation system.

    The initial goal of developing

    Sirim Karbon Kalkulator was tofacilitate product footprintingprocesses. The project aims topopulate Malaysia with carbonfootprinted products, explainsWan Mazlina Wan, head of the

    Environmental TechnologyResearch Centre at Sirim.

    The Malaysian Palm Oil Boards(MPOB) work on creating a moreefficient method of extractingbiodiesel from crude palm oil is inline with the Governments B7biodiesel plan to implement ahigher blend of palm oil biodieselfrom the current 7% to 10% in the

    near future. The plan was fullyimplemented nationwide this year,aided by MPOBs innovation.

    Similarly, on a smaller scale, thework being carried out byUniversiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

    (UPSI) is seen as a boost to the localeconomy.

    This invention (Fish Scales asCalcium Source in Halal WaterFilter Applications) has created anew era of water filter and wouldboost sales.

    This invention was not only forthe sake of knowledge, but moretowards commercialisation and

    income generation, says AssocProf Dr Ismail Zainol, lecturer atthe Chemistry Department, Facultyof Science and Mathematics, UPSI.

    > SEE PAGE 8

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    innovations malaysia 5

    Clinching

    awardsAS the leading provider of earlychildhood education in Malaysia,Smart Reader Worldwide hasproduced top-quality andeffective educational SmartReader Kids programmes.

    During the recent FranchiseAwards Night 2015 organised bythe Ministry of Domestic Trade,Co-operatives and Consumerismand Malaysian FranchiseAssociation at Sunway ResortHotel & Spa, Petaling Jaya, SmartReader Worldwide won the BestFranchise Innovation Award forits Smart Reader Kids Islamic orSmart Tadris programme.

    The Smart Tadris programmeoffers a comprehensivecurriculum for Muslim childrenas young as three years old.

    The Smart Reader KidsIslamic programme wasintroduced last year to meet theneeds of Muslim parents whowant to instil Islamic values intheir young children andenhance their knowledge ofIslam.

    Combined with the subjectsin the Smart Reader Classicprogramme, the comprehensiveSmart Tadris programmesuits the present dynamicenvironment, says Datuk SeriDr Richard Ong, chief executive

    officer of Smart ReaderWorldwide.

    Recognition was also given toone of the franchisees of SmartReader Worldwide, Amy ChongMun Teng, who is the franchiseeof Smart Reader Kids SelayangJaya, Smart Reader Kids ++Selayang Jaya and Smart ReaderKids Bukit Sri Bintang, Kepong.

    She bagged the covetedHomegrown Franchisee of theYear award in recognition of herpreschool education franchisebusiness rapid growth since

    its inception.I am happy and proud of my

    achievement. My commitmentand passion in expanding mypreschool education businesshave paid off. I am exceptionallygrateful to Malaysian FranchiseAssociation for conferring methis award and Smart ReaderWorldwide for its support for meto become successful today, saysChong.

    Smart Reader Worldwide wasalso awarded the distinguishedNapei Excellence Award 2015under the category of EarlyChildhood Education Providers

    Franchisors by the NationalAssociation of PrivateEducational Institutions (Napei)recently.

    The annual awards ceremonyrecognises the effort andachievement of privateeducational institutions thathave excelled in their fields.

    Receiving the award for theseventh year running is asignificant recognition for SmartReader Worldwide and itsfranchise centres who areleaders in the early childhoodeducation industry.

    Kevan Ong, executive directorof Smart Reader Worldwide,accepted the award on behalf

    of the organisation from P.Kamalanathan P. Panchanathan,Deputy Minister of Education.

    We are honoured to beconferred with the ExcellenceAward for the seventh yearrunning by Napei. We willcontinue to strive for educationalexcellence in all aspects of ourSmart Reader Kids programmes,he said.

    nFor more information, call03-6279 5555 or 1300 885 555 orvisit www.smartreader.edu.my

    Datuk Seri Dr Richard Ong (right) holding the Best Franchise Innovationtrophy with Datuk Abu Hasan Din Al-Hafiz.

    Amy Chong (right) with herHomegrown Franchisee of theYear Award 2015.

    Kevan Ong with the Napei Award2015.

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    High Impact Programme 6 (HIP6) programme director Abdul Razak Ahmad(fourth from left) presenting the certificate of enrolment in HIP6 to tuhau

    food product innovator Wasinah Kuntagil (second from left).

    The first mass productionsystems were innovations thatrevolutionised manufacturing.

    Bridging access to progressYASAN Inovasi Malaysia (YIM)kles the disparities among thelaysian population in terms of

    ward and access to basic needsh as health, education andancial resources throughious programmes, including theh Impact Programme 6 (HIP6) lusive Innovation.There is a long list of social andnomic issues to be addressedwe are constrained by

    ources so we focus on whattters most.The innovators are solution-kers who identify a dire need inir community and developctical and cost-effective

    utions using means that areilable to them, including usingycled materials, says Abdulak Ahmad, YIMs HIP6gramme director.

    Almost 1,400 grassroots

    ovators have since beenntified and registered with YIMough its outreach efforts.

    With close support fromECorp and the Science,hnology and Innovation

    nistry (Mosti), these initiativesset to become the benchmarkinnovation development in thentry.

    Here are two success stories thatve created positive impacthin the local communities.

    hauTuhau is a traditional delicacy of

    ethnic Kadazan Dusun people

    of Sabah. Prepared from the shootsof a wild ginger-like speciesEtlingera coccinea, tuhau is mostlyserved pickled and relished withsteamed rice and grilled or friedfish.

    In 2012, YIM via its Jejak Inovasiprogramme scouted the uniquefood innovator Wasinah Kuntagilwho was producing tuhauserunding (floss) and several newvariations of tuhau sambal.

    Her innovative idea came aboutas a response to her friends whohad complained about the

    difficulty of bringing tuhau intoaeroplanes because of its strongaroma and taste.

    She decided to address theproblem by drying tuhau as apreservation method and beganselling it in her village.

    Now, Wasinahs food innovationis widely accepted in Sabah andpeninsular Malaysia as well as inthe Philippines, Singapore,Indonesia and Brunei.

    After setting up her own halalkitchen, Wasinah hired neighboursand friends to gather raw material,

    sought their assistance to preparethe dishes and in productpackaging.

    As a result of YIMs assistanceand exposure through JejakInovasi, she has received fundingfrom Mostis InnoFund to scale upher kitchen. She now markets herproduct in at least five variations pickles, sambal, belacan, serundingand fresh spring rolls.

    Wasinah is also keen to diversifythe product range to include tuhausauce and instant noodles, whichare in the process of research anddevelopment.

    In the long term, she isinterested to open her own

    processing factory to expand herenterprise and provide workopportunities for the women,single mothers and youth in hervillage. Tuhau is protected underthe geographical indicationintellectual property rights.

    Paddy-threshingmachine

    Siteo Akang is a farmer andinnovator from Keningau, Sabah.He has developed many usefulagricultural products known allover Sabah especially in hishometown. The paddy-threshing

    machine is one of his moredeveloped and popular innovativeproducts.

    Siteos paddy tresher requiresonly one person to operate, yet it isable to thresh paddy up to 10 timesfaster than four draft animals. Itcan also be used to thresh moistcrop. One of the features of thepaddy thresher is its ability toretain complete rice straws insteadof chopping them.

    The straw, chaff and grains areseparated automatically using ablower, reducing labour anddrudgery. The mechanism in thethresher also reduces paddywastage.

    Siteo has sold more than 100units of paddy thresher in Sabahat between RM2,800 and RM3,200(inclusive of the engine), dependingon the cost of the raw materials. Heis able to produce a unit in about aweek.

    With YIMs assistance inpatenting his product, Siteo hasachieved commercialisation of thisproduct in the local market but heis continuously improving hisdesign and production capacity topenetrate the national market.

    nFor more information,visit www.inovasiinklusif.my

    Innovationsthat changedthe worldINNOVATION is intangible, starting out asjust an idea that, after testing and refining,works. Innovation is also essential to thedevelopment of nations and civilisation.

    Nowadays, the most common innovationsthat people see come in the form of hi-techinventions designed to make processes and

    life easier and more efficient.Modern life would not be possible with

    some early innovations that, though simple,changed the course of human history. Hereare two.

    Intermodal containers

    An intermodal container is a largeshipping container of a standard size thatis used for intermodal freight transport.

    These containers can be used acrossdifferent forms of transports, includingtruck, rail and ship, without their cargobeing unloaded.

    Before intermodal containers were used,goods packed in crates, bags and containersof varying sizes would have to be fitted intotrucks, freight train cars and cargo holds of

    ships as best they could.Loaders would squeeze cargo into everyspace available, but much space was wastedbecause of the non-standard shapes and sizesof sacks, crates and containers.

    The first international standard forcontainers was established in 1933 in Europefor transport across the continent.

    These stackable containers not only madeefficient use of space, they also reduced theneed for labour to load and offload goods,significantly driving down costs.

    This meant that the cost of internationaltrade became so cheap that goods could beshipped around the world quickly andefficiently for the first time.

    This innovation led to people havingaccess to food items and products thatthey had never previously been able to

    obtain.

    Mass production

    Standardisation of products has done alot to move industrialisation and humandevelopment forward.

    Before mass production the productionof large amounts of standardised productson assembly lines goods could only beproduced for consumption on relativelysmall scales.

    The first use of mass production systemswas in ancient China to produce bronzecrossbows to equip large armies.

    In the 1890s, factories were using theinnovative system of chain or sequentialproduction a basic assembly line.

    The first modern use of mass production

    came after the electrification of factories inthe early 1900s.In the early 1900s, Henry Fords Ford

    Motor Company introduced electricmotors to the sequential productiontechnique as well as purpose-builtspecial tools and fixtures to speed upthe production process.

    This innovation allowed Ford tomanufacture cars on a large scale,paving the way for todays large-scalemanufacturing plants.

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    Workplace involvementE of the enduring problems ofnagement is how to develop

    d sustain high performancehout putting excessive strainemployees.

    The problem is that the oftenplied universalistic models areed on the premise that one sizeall, which assumes that the

    me practices guarantee highformance regardless of location,tor and company.

    However, the complexity ofdern businesses is such thatversalistic approaches make it

    suitable to managing peopleoss the board.irst, location matters whaty be viewed as

    versal bestctice in theited Stateses notessarilyrk in theferent culturaltitutional

    ntexts ofa.econd,tor

    is also important. For example, theeconomics of highly capital-intensive operations such aschemical plants are quite differentfrom those that involve labour-intensive manufacturing such asthe clothing industry.

    The differences in these sectorshelp define what is appropriate in

    managing people at work withinthese different industrial contexts.

    Third, company cultures are animportant factor in determiningthe companys approach tomanaging work and people,even those within the samemarket.

    What, then, are the alternatives

    to best practise high performancework systems?

    Curtin University SarawakMalaysias research is concernedwith promoting the concept ofhigh-involvement work practicesassociated with high levels ofemployee influence over the workprocess and positive perceptions byworkers of their jobs and workingenvironment.

    The conceptual framework wehave developed will be testedempirically using available largedata sets and structural equation

    modelling as well as in case studiesof organisations operating inconditions that are theoreticallyconducive to developing high-involvement work processes.

    Our analysis of studies to datepredicts that more sustainableforms of high-involvement workprocesses, where workers haveboth a high degree of taskdiscretion and high levels ofinfluence over work organisation,

    Catalysing developmentROM PAGE 4At the same time, innovation

    wers emerging needs,ting researchers andentors at the frontline ofwth and progress.or example, the work beingried out at Taylors Universityks to address the needs oflaysias workforce.The drastically altereddscape of the 21st centuryrketplace creates demandindividuals who arelti-skilled, possess a goodsp of multiple intelligences,

    and can rise up to meet thedistinct needs and challengesof the contemporaryworkforce, says Assoc ProfDr Tang Siew Fun, directorof Integrated Teaching andLifelong Learning Centre atTaylors University.

    Projects such as these arecatalysts requiring acomprehensive approach forfurther benefits to the nation.

    Rozario explains:

    Innovation does not onlycome from doing research andthrough the development ofproducts.

    You must also look at otherareas that may be intangiblesuch as how you handleprocesses, branding, marketingor how you developrelationships with customersand suppliers.

    You can do a lot of researchand development. However, if

    you do not know how tocommercialise your products,they will just sit on theshelves.

    You can come up with newprocesses and products butinnovation is all about turningthose ideas to wealth.

    Here is a look at a fewprojects that showcase thewidth and depth of innovativeresearch being carried out inMalaysia.

    are likely to be built on high levelsof trust and investment in training.

    Trust should manifest throughgiving employees a voice such asthrough work councils and tradeunion involvement in strategicdecisions of work organisation.

    High levels of investment intraining and development areanticipated as well for theworkforce to produce the skillsnecessary to enable responsibleautonomy.

    Ultimately, anthropocentric workshould be seen as an option for any

    employee who sees work as morethan a means to an end. By ProfJonathan Winterton

    Prof Jonathan Winterton (pic) isthe dean of the Faculty of Businessand Humanities, Curtin UniversitySarawak.

    nFor more information,call 08-544 3841 or [email protected]

    Sirims Karbon Kalkulator, an innovation that will allowfor the measurement of the carbon footprint left byproducts, won an award at ITEX 2015.

    Research projects at Curtin University Sarawak Malaysia involve promotingthe concept of high-involvement work practice.

    Taylors University SHINEAward Programme

    Taylors University introducedthe SHINE Award, which provides

    recognition for studentsextracurricular involvement, bothon and off campus, through asecond transcript a first inMalaysia and the South-EastAsian region.

    Taylors second transcriptcomplements and supplementsthe academic transcript by givingexpanded opportunities forstudents to acquire life skills aswell as develop intellectually,emotionally and socially.

    To date, more than 20companies, including BMW,Ernst & Young, Shell andMicrosoft, have endorsed theprogramme and more than16,000 students have enrolled.

    Award won this year: Honourable commendation at

    the Wenhui Award 2015 ACommitment to HolisticDevelopment and GraduateEmployability.

    The Wenhui Awards areawarded by the NationalCommission of the PeoplesRepublic of China for Unescoand coordinated by theUnesco Asia-Pacific Programmeof Educational Innovationfor Development (APEID).

    Sirim Sirim KarbonKalkulator

    Sirim Karbon Kalkulator (www.karbonkalkulator.com)is one of

    the achievements under EUSWITCH Asias EnvironmentalDeclaration Scheme forConstruction and BuildingMaterials from December 2013until this month.

    Through collaborative effortsbetween the European Union andMalaysia, Sirim Berhad hassuccessfully developed a toolkitto assist the implementation ofa pilot programme in carbonfootprint labelling in the buildingmaterials sector and constructionindustry.

    The Sirim Karbon Kalkulatortoolkit enables data collection,compilation, analysis andverification of reported carbon

    footprints to be conducted in amore systematic manner.

    Basically a web applicationdesigned in accordance with ISO/TS 14067:2013 (Greenhouse Gases Carbon Footprint of products)standard format, it is the firstcarbon footprint calculation webapplication system developed inMalaysia that covers the wholeprocess of data collection,automated calculation andverification, creating a networkthat connects the industry,researchers and auditors.

    It also helps the industryidentify hot spots that arecontributing to greenhouse gasemissions in the manufacturingprocess.

    Award won this year: Gold Medal at the

    International Invention andInnovation Exhibition 2015

    University Pendidikan SultanIdris (UPSI) NaturalHydroxyapatite from FishScales as Calcium Source inHalal Water Filter Applications

    Calcium is essential for bonegrowth as it is required for themineralisation of bone.

    The rate of calcium depositionin bone is proportional to rate ofgrowth.

    An adequate intake of calcium

    is one of a number of factors thatare important for attaining peakbone mass.

    Most water filters availablein the market have onlyceramic filters and activatedcarbon to remove dissolvedsolids, impurities and bad smellsin tap water, with a few havinga special filter cartridge thatcan produce calcium ion in tapwater.

    The commercial material usedto produce calcium ion in wateris calcium phosphate in the form

    of hydroxyapatite (HAp). Themain source of HAp in waterfilter industries is from bovineand pig bones.

    The project has worked on

    using fish scales hydroxyapatite(FsHAp) as an alternative tocommercially available animal-based HAp in water filterapplications.

    Following the successfulextraction of FsHAp from fishscales, many products have beendeveloped.

    Among the successful productfrom FsHAp is a porous FsHApbead for water filter applications.

    In this invention, a simpletechnique was developed toproduce highly porous FsHApbeads as a source of calcium ionin water filter applications.

    The filter has been patentedand is being commercialised.

    Awards won this year: Pemenang Perak, Anugerah

    Harta Intelek Negara, 2015,Kategori Paten

    Anugerah PengkomersilanProduk, UPSI, April 2015

    Malaysian Palm Oil Board Integrated production of palmbiodiesel and phytonutrients

    This project uses technology toconvert crude palm oil intomethyl ester (biodiesel) and

    extraction of carotenes(pro-vitamin A) and tocotrienols(vitamin E).

    The research project wasinitiated with the objective to

    add value to palm oil byextracting phytonutrients via thebiodiesel route and to removelow-quality palm oil in the marketby converting it into biodiesel.

    Biodiesel from palm oil is arenewable and sustainable fuelthat helps to reduce greenhousegas emissions, addressing theglobal warming issue.

    This efficient method ofextracting biodiesel contributes tothe well-being of the environmentby producing high-grade biodieseland contributes to the healthof consumers by producingphytonutrients such as carotenesand vitamin E.

    This system has been patented

    and commercialised commercial production of palmbiodiesel has led to the use ofblend biodiesel and dieselpetroleum for the subsidisedsector.

    Awards won this year: Gold Medal and Best R&D

    Project for Research Institution atthe International Invention andInnovation Exhibition 2015

    International Federation ofInventors Association Medal forBest Woman Inventor.