UTAR Faculty of Science (FSc) student Chong Yu Hang, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FICT) student Wooi Zhuang Ru, and Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) student Yeoh Zhao Wei were in the limelight at the 2023 UAiTED Innovation Competition Grand Final, which was held on 5 August 2023 at Galaxy Banquet Hall, Kuala Lumpur.

The Innovation Competition is an annual competition organised by the University Alliance in Talent Education Development (UAiTED). It aims to facilitate ideas and solutions for problems related to global sustainable development by leveraging high-tech innovation, and at the same time facilitate cross-regional, multicultural, and interdisciplinary global talent development. The 2023 UAiTED Innovation Competition focused on renewable energy capacity, home and social care for ageing communities, and domestic waste handling for large city communities.

The UTAR students, who joined hands with students from other universities as teams, were awarded the Silver and Bronze Awards for their brilliant performance at the competition.

As the winner of the Silver Award, team TNC Junktion received a cash prize worth USD3,500. It consisted of FSc student Chong Yu Hang, FICT student Wooi Zhuang Ru, Nanyang Technological University of Singapore (NTU) student Lee Soon Yang; and National Central University students He Pin Rong and Xiao Shan-Yu.

As a member of the Silver Award-winning team, FSc student Chong was not only proud of his team’s achievement, but also glad to be able to ride through the storm together with a team of diverse cultures. “The knowledge and experience gained from the competition and workshop are indeed valuable, but the exchanges of cultural differences among team members from different countries, along with the clashes of diverse perspectives during project discussions and brainstorming sessions are also incredibly precious moments to me,” enthused Chong.

When asked about his motivation behind the participation, he said, “Through a fortunate coincidence, UTAR Unovate Centre recommended us to participate in this competition due to our strong interest in the field of innovation and creativity. Hence, I would like to express my gratitude to Unovate Centre for their dedication and efforts towards students, as they consistently encourage students’ engagement and growth in the field of innovation and creativity.”

Team TNC Junktion presented “FoodSage”, an app developed to tackle food waste issues by empowering users to reduce food waste from food purchase to food waste disposal. “I believe that the high feasibility and comprehensive business model of our project were the decisive factors that set our team apart. This achievement was made possible by the dedicated preparation of every team member as well as the guidance and sharing from the workshop,” explained Chong about his team’s endeavour.

Team G-OLD walked away with a cash prize worth USD2,500 as the winner of the Bronze Award. The team consisted of LKC FES student Yeoh Zhao Wei; NTU students Chai Jin Xie and Si Poh Yi; and National Cheng Kung University students Lam Nguyen Ngan Ha and Natalie Tanjaya.

Yeoh expressed his euphoria upon learning the good news of his team’s achievement, saying, “I am greatly honoured to receive the Bronze Award at the 2023 UAiTED Innovation Competition. This is my third time receiving an award at this competition. My team received the Silver Award at UAiTED Innovation Competition in 2021, the Gold Award in 2022, and now the Bronze Award.”

“This award is a token of my efforts for my team, as they displayed their inspirations and beliefs through their performances in this competition. Without them, our achievement would not be possible. We faced several challenges on our way here, but we persevered through them by brainstorming as a team and also seeking advice from professionals. Receiving this award puts a happy conclusion to my university life, as it does not only signify my previous endeavours with my teammates, but serve as a motivation for our future efforts,” Yeoh expressed his gratitude to his current and former teammates who had helped him in achieving the milestones over the years.

Team G-OLD presented “Look After”, a smart home-based caregiver system that utilises Wi-Fi Sensing Technology to monitor health. In line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, it was designed specifically with the elderly in mind. “Our device aims to help the elders who live alone or those who have no sufficient time to care for their elders. It is perfect for families and doctors to monitor any health abnormalities from the elders as well as give relevant treatments and solutions to them. Not to mention, ‘Look After’ is also verified by doctors of Taiwan and Malaysia, since it benefits the medical sector,” elaborated Yeoh about their award-winning project.