The Crown Prince CIPTA Award is back with its tenth installment, highlighting the 2023 agenda on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) themed “Innovations for Sustainable Development Goals”.
The biennial competition is organised by Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) in partnership with Brunei LNG Sendirian Berhad (Brunei LNG), as the main sponsor.
In her welcoming speech, Vice-Chancellor of UTB Professor Dr Hajah Zohrah Haji Sulaiman, the Chairperson of the CIPTA 2023 Executive Committee, said that the theme promotes innovations based on the 17 SDG elements that will contribute towards the benefit of the social, environmental conservation and economic prosperity.
It is also to better protecting the natural foundations of life and our planet for everyone, as well as, preserving people’s opportunities to live in dignity and prosperity across the generations, she added.
“UTB has been giving support to SDG elements through various ongoing research collaborations with the government and industries,” said the vice-chancellor.
Some of the research include SDG 11 on “Sustainable Cities and Communities” on Relay Station Network based on Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) Technologies for Disaster Management by Centre of Innovative Engineering (CIE); SDG 12 on “Responsible Consumption and Production” research for the development of biodegradable food packaging and food waste management by Centre of Research and Agrifood Science and Technology (CrAFT); and SDG 13 on “Climate Action” on Tidal Energy Resources in Brunei’s water. Furthermore, UTB also incorporates SDG-related topics into the curriculum to create understanding and awareness among the students.
On his part, Minister of Education Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Haji Hamzah Haji Sulaiman believed that the theme of CIPTA 2023 is appropriate and timely to promote new ideas with fresh energy in the country’s efforts to support SDGs and the recovery from COVID-19 through science, technology and innovation.
“Current research and technological priorities will also need to be aligned to support innovative approaches in sustainability science, specifically ones that emphasise cross-disciplinary collaborations. Academic institutions especially in higher education should lead by example and continue inspiring students to engage in issues of sustainability,” said the minister.
He further said that the theme is very much in-line with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’ízzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s titah during UTB’s 9th convocation ceremony, emphasising the need to improve research in key areas which could contribute to increased number of patents and commercialisation.
“UTB is also an enterprise which can build an ecosystem around research-based products to gain competitive advantages and establish partnerships with other stakeholders for value co-creation and coinnovation. CIPTA 2023 can be an important part of this innovation ecosystem,” continued the education minister.
He firmly believed that innovation ecosystem is a promising mode to improve product innovation and address cross-organisational collaboration issues in co-innovation, as it promotes the flow, integration and allocation of innovative resources and knowledge within the ecosystem.
“CIPTA will be within the innovation ecosystem and UTB is the main anchor for linkages with industries and venture capitalists,” said YB Dato Haji Hamzah.
The acronym CIPTA stands for Creative, Innovative Product and Technological Advancement, and it is also a Malay word meaning to create or to invent that aims to encourage and to develop the culture for creation, invention and innovation in Brunei Darussalam and other ASEAN countries.
The 2030 Agenda of the SGDs as adopted by United Nations Member States in September 2015, sets the blueprint of a global response to normalise the global issues by eradicating poverty, combating inequality and protecting the planet through the tackling of climate change.
CIPTA 2023 Competition invites visionary innovators within Brunei Darussalam and other ASEAN countries to invent and innovate products that revolves around the 17 elements of SDGs to provide integrated solutions to respond to the challenges the world is facing and to ensure inclusiveness among the global society.
There are three main categories namely: ‘Local Categories’, ‘Smart Junior Competition’ and ‘ASEAN Categories’.
The Local Categories comprise of Category 1: Creating New Product, Process or Technology’; ‘Category 2: Modifying Existing Product, Process or Technology’; and ‘Category 3: Creating New or Modifying Existing Product, Process or Technology by Young Inventors’.
The Smart Junior Competition is open to Bruneian school students from the lower secondary school students or equivalent to Year 7 to Year 9.
Meanwhile, the ASEAN Categories are made up of ‘New Invention & Innovation Category’ and ‘Young Inventor Category’.
Each entry will be judged based on their novelty and creativity; deployment of the end product; social, economic and sustainable design considerations; and the project report and presentation.
Assessment of submitted projects will be conducted in two stages starting with the Preliminary Assessment. Only qualified entries will be allowed to proceed to the Final Assessment.
CATEGORY 1, 2 AND 3
(LOCAL CATEGORIES)
The winners for Category 1 and Category 2 will receive:
• 1st Prize – B$ 6000.00 cash, a trophy & certificate
• 2nd Prize – B$ 4000.00 cash, a trophy & certificate
• 3rd Prize – B$ 2000.00 cash, a trophy & certificate
• Two Consolation Prizes – B$ 500.00 cash and certificates
The prizes for Category 3 are as follows:
• 1st Prize – B$ 3000.00 cash, a trophy & certificate
• 2nd Prize – B$ 2000.00 cash, a trophy & certificate
• 3rd Prize – B$ 1000.00 cash, a trophy & certificate
• Two Consolation Prizes – B$ 250.00 cash and certificates
SMART JUNIOR COMPETITION
Winners in the Smart Junior Competition will receive:
• 1st Prize – B$ 1000.00 Cash, a trophy & certificate
• 2nd Prize – B$ 800.00 Cash, a trophy & certificate
• 3rd Prize – B$ 500.00 Cash, a trophy & certificate
• Two Consolation Prizes – B$ 200.00 Cash and certificates
ASEAN CATEGORIES
The winners for New Invention & Innovation Category will receive:
• 1st Prize – B$ 6000.00 Cash, a trophy & certificate
• 2nd Prize – B$ 4000.00 Cash, a trophy & certificate
• 3rd Prize – B$ 2000.00 Cash, a trophy & certificate
• Two Consolation Prizes – B$ 500.00 Cash and certificates
The winners for Young Inventor Category will receive:
• 1st Prize – B$ 3000.00 Cash, a trophy & certificate
• 2nd Prize – B$ 2000.00 Cash, a trophy & certificate
• 3rd Prize – B$ 1000.00 Cash, a trophy & certificate
• Two Consolation Prizes – B$ 250.00 Cash and certificates
SPECIAL AWARD – THE CROWN PRINCE CIPTA AWARD
Winners of the Local Categories in Categories 1 and 2, as well as the ASEAN Categories – New Invention & Innovation Category, are eligible to compete for the Crown Prince Special Award, which includes a B$8000 cash prize and a trophy.
The competition encompasses all areas of Science, Technology and Engineering.
It is open to all schools, technical and tertiary academic institutions, government and private organisations and the general public.
With the official launching of CIPTA 2023, all related documents can be obtained from their website at http://conference.utb.edu.bn/cipta/and registration will open from 19 May 2022 until 9 January 2023.
This article was first published on 21 May 2022 in our Weekly Epaper issue 194 |
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
