KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) will embark on a groundbreaking data-sharing initiative with the Malaysia Technology Expo (MTE).
Datuk Aminuddin Hassim, Secretary General of Mosti, said this on behalf of Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Chang Lih Kang, in his speech at the opening ceremony of MTE 2024, held recently at the World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
“The central pillar of this collaboration is MyTechMart, an official portal that will now serve as the backbone for this data-sharing initiative,” said Aminuddin, reading Chang’s speech.
“MyTechMart is not just a platform, it is a bridge connecting ideas to markets, inventors to investors, and research to real-world applications.
“Through MyTechMart, Mosti and MTE are setting a new standard for how innovation is nurtured, supported and accelerated from the ground up,” he said, adding that this year also marked the 40th anniversary of Protemp Group, organiser of MTE.
While the opening ceremony of MTE 2024 was officiated by Aminuddin Hassim, the welcome address was given by Ajmain Kasim, CEO of Sirim Tech Ventures.
The expo, which is in its 23rd year, was a three-day event from February 22 to 24 which saw over 3,352 visitors, onsite and virtual, including first-time participants from Russia and Hungary.
More than 130 local and foreign exhibitors from companies, government bodies, schools as well as universities were there to showcase their latest inventions and products.
Notably, the Hong Kong Pavilion, a trade mission of 20 companies, was also on site, announcing its debut with a launch at their exhibit.
“We understand that Malaysia has been embracing digital technology as an important economic driver in recent years and leveraged ICT to bring about digital transformation in public services and economic activities,” said Kenny Chien, chairman of Hong Kong Software Industry Association (HKSIA), in his speech.
“Choosing Malaysia as the venue for the HK Pavilion at the Malaysia Technology Expo 2024 reflects our deep belief in collaboration and our commitment to fostering closer ties with ASEAN economies.”
The Hong Kong Pavilion is organised by HKSIA with funding from the Trade & Industry Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government.
The pavilion serves as a platform to promote Hong Kong’s exceptional information and communication technology (ICT) products and services for ASEAN markets.
MTE, globally celebrated for its prestigious innovation awards programme, revealed the winners of its distinguished innovation awards on its exhilarating second day, following an impressive opening ceremony that set the tone for a festival of innovation.
This year, the combined Public Service Innovation Asia Awards (PSIA) and the Asian Youth Innovation Awards (AYIA), under the leadership of Hussein Mohd Ariff and Professor Emeritus Datuk Noraini Idris respectively, attracted a substantial 135 entries from innovators eager to showcase their groundbreaking work.
From this competitive field, 65 extraordinary projects were honoured with gold awards, reflecting a significant achievement in the global innovation landscape.
This amalgamation of entries highlights the broad spectrum of creativity and ingenuity, demonstrating the depth and diversity of contributions to advancing public services and international innovation.
The event reached its climax on the final day with the results of the International Innovation Awards (IIA), chaired by Professor Datuk Noor Azuan Abu Osman, which welcomed an impressive 231 entries.
One of the AYIA gold winners was a 10-member team of Form Four and Five students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Banting, who came up with their own masala tea powder that contains specially-added health-boosting ingredients.
“Key spice ingredients of our masala tea have a scientific compound called linalool that contains Vitamin C which can fight off infections,” said team leader Kaneshwaran Krishnan.
“Another spice contains eugenol that can reduce stress with its aromatic scent.”
“There are a lot of masala teas around the world but ours is special because it helps to reduce stress and headache and also contains Vitamin C to keep skin looking good,” said Sivaaney Mahendiren.
“Another scientific compound it contains is cinnamaldehyde, which can reduce the sugar level in our blood capillaries, which means it helps to prevent diabetes.”
One of their teachers, Nor Azzyati Yusof, said Kaneshwaran had also made soaps and scrubs for their school project but could only enter one product for the MET AYIA.
“Kanesh wants to be a friendly CEO when he grows up so that everyone will want to work hard for him,” said Nor Azzyati.
A series of talks were also held on the first day, beginning with Mastering Attention Economy - How AI-powered Multimedia Boost E-Learning and Corp Communication by Kevin CH Lee, general manager of BlendVision, a brand from Taiwan that uses AI and multimedia technology to empower clients with the right digital information flow.
BlendVision is a brand under KKCompany Technologies Group, which started KKBOX, the world’s first legal music streaming platform before Spotify and Apple Music.
“People spend about seven hours online, that’s the world average,” said Lee. “So within that seven hours, you need to get their attention to sell it, if you’re a seller or to communicate it if you’re an educator.
“With all this exploding content, there needs to be a new way to get people’s attention. In my presentation, I try to explain why AI is going to change the way people spend their attention online and how we can engage them more effectively.”
BlendVision won the IIA bronze award in the ICT category and second prize for best booth design.
