JOHOR BAHRU, 7 April 2019 – Bioprocess Engineering Student Society (BIOSS) from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have made their 5th International Biotechnology Competition and Exhibition (IBCEx’19) into success on 5th and 6th April at Dewan Sultan Iskandar and Dewan Banquet, UTM, Johor. This is an annual program with the main objective is to provide a great opportunity for local and international undergraduates from various institutions to introduce their creative innovations and further enhance their knowledge in the field of biotechnology. Given the theme “Green and Sustainable World”, the organizer opens all categories of innovation for contestants which are Environment/Waste Treatment/Biotechnology, Biofuel/Renewable Energy and Green Building/Green Technology Product.
There were 41 teams that participate in the program, which are formed by 27 international teams and 14 local teams. Out of the 27 international teams, there were 2 teams from Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (Indonesia), 12 teams from Universitas Brawijaya (Indonesia), 1 team from Pertamina University (Indonesia), 7 teams from Universitas Islam Indonesia, 3 teams from Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (Indonesia) and 1 team from Universitas Sebelas Maret (Indonesia). While for the 14 local teams, 5 teams were from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), 4 teams from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), 3 teams from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), 1 team from Universiti Teknologi MARA Kampus Bukit Besi (UiTM) and 1 team from Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP).
Besides, poster competition as a side competition with the same theme is only open for undergraduates and diploma students whom further study in Johor. The participants were from UTM, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed), Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan as well as Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Industrial Technology (UniKL MITECH).
YB Tuan Lim Kit Siang, Member of Parliament Iskandar Puteri was proudly invited to officiate IBCEx’19 during the closing ceremony. The others VVIP were Prof. Dr. Durrishah Idrus (Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Roshanida Bt. A.Rahman (Deputy Dean of Faculty Engineering), Prof. Dr. Mohd Ghazali Mohd Namawi (Principal of School of Chemical Engineering), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Liza Bt Md Salleh (Advisor of Bioprocess Student Society) and the director, Tan Jian Ming.
The champion of the main competition from category Environment/Waste Treatment/Biotechnology went to Universitas Brawijaya with their MS IP PRO (Monitoring System with Integrated Parameter Program): Vannamei Shrimp Cultural Monotoring Solution Based IOT (Internet of Things). For category Biofuel/Renewable Energy, the champion was Pertamina University with their innovative product called Green Gasoline: Renewable Fuel from Palm Oil Solid Waste and Plastic LDPE (Low-Density Polyetylene) Using Microwave, Catalytic Cracking Method and ZSM5 Catalyst. For the last category which is Green Building/Green Technology Product, the champion was UTM (Artificial Tree (ART3) By Using Marine Microalgae). Whereas, Lim Jun Jie from NUMed was the champion for the poster presentation competition with the title: 10 Steps Towards a Green and Sustainable World.
Furthermore, the Best Booth Award went to booth GB 04 (Artificial Tree (ART3) By Using Marine Microalgae). Best Presenter Award fall to Siti Fatimah Masturah Binti Musa, UTM while the Best of the Best Award went to the champion from category Biofuel/Renewable Energy.
UTM hopes that this program is able to create and produce more undergraduates that are ready to compete with others in this era which is full of competitiveness and ensure Malaysia meet the qualification of “United Nation’s Global Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development”.
