KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — Aspiring young innovators from secondary schools were given RM45,000 by Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) to develop their new inventions to help their local communities.

The Sime Darby Young Innovators Challenge (SDYIC) 2023 grant winners were awarded at the Grand Finale held yesterday at the Sime Darby Convention Centre.

With the theme "Help A Person, Change the World”, SDYIC aims to empower students to devise solutions to local challenges since its inception in 2016.

It also hopes to instill a sense of shared responsibility by implementing their inventions within their communities to bring positive change.

The annual challenge was back for its 8th edition in person, after three years of online competition due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Coinciding with World Children’s Day 2023, the Grand Finale was a celebration of youth innovation and resilience.

Among the interesting efforts were Team BITARA from SMK Tung Hua created a flash flood detector named "The Flash Guard Monitor” that helped send message alerts on groups through automatic electric tripping to speed up evacuation in their school's flood-prone area in Sibu.

There was also Team MIND BENDERS from SMK Kota Masai 2 that made a counterfeit money detector to help stall owners in their area and prevent rising fraud cases and protect their businesses.

Joining the noteworthy ideas were Team INSLABBY from SMK Tengku Lela that invented a wastewater filtration tank to solve their community's wastewater issue with water recycling and pollution reduction.

Yayasan Sime Darby chairman Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar said that the innovations from this year's students were "remarkable”.

"To our young innovators, we believe that each and every one of you holds the potential to shape a brighter future for our nation and the world.

"We look forward to collaborating closely with you, turning your ideas into actionable solutions that will benefit our communities.

"Our commitment to nurturing innovation and prospering problem-solving skills remains resonant and we envision the world where the inventive prowess of our youth becomes a driving force for change,” he said.

SDYIC 2023 began in April this year with 680 teams competing in state-level competitions before culminating in the SDYIC 2023 National Championship from November 17 to 20.

The top 15 final teams featured six secondary schools from Sabah and Sarawak and four all-girl teams.

The final teams underwent a 3-week National Camp, interacting with industry experts including innovation officers from YSD's education partner Chumbaka, leaders from corporates and social enterprises, university mentors, and technical consultants.

They were also trained by alumni of SDYIC known as "Yodas” who served as online mentors.