The prestigious Crown Prince Creative, Innovative Product and Technological Advancement (CIPTA) Award 2025 was launched at the Indera Kayangan Ballroom of the The Empire Brunei yesterday with the introduction of a new Special Award for Sustainable Energy category recognising innovations in energy production focusing on sustainability.
Minister of Education Datin Seri Setia Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd Salleh officiated the launch, marking a significant milestone of the 20th anniversary of this biennial competition, organised by the Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) in partnership with Brunei LNG Sdn Bhd (Brunei LNG).
UTB Vice-Chancellor and CIPTA 2025 Executive Committee Chairperson Datin Paduka Professor Dr Hajah Zohrah binti Haji Sulaiman in her welcoming remarks said, “The Crown Prince CIPTA Award is a platform to engage with the public and students, allowing them to demonstrate their creativity and innovations.”
She added, “The ‘Green Innovations’ theme underscores the urgent need to harness human ingenuity and technological competence to combat climate change, biodiversity loss, and other environmental threats. It represents a paradigm shift towards sustainable development, where innovation drives economic growth and fosters environmental and social well-being.”
Professor Dr Sivakumar Manickam also delivered a keynote session.
The minister also visited the showcases and exhibitions featuring previous CIPTA winners.
Deputy Minister (Energy) at the Prime Minister’s Office Haji Mohamad Azmi bin Haji Mohd Hanifah, Acting Attorney General Hajah Zuraini binti Haji Sharbawi and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Brunei LNG, Adeleye Falade, who is Co-Chairperson of the CIPTA 2025 Executive Committee attended the event.
For the first time, participating inventions will be eligible for gold, silver, and bronze medal awards, honouring the top-scoring and most innovative products.
Meanwhile, the Special Award for Sustainable Energy will be given to the highest-scoring projects in sustainable energy within each category.
There are three main categories in the competition: Local Categories, Smart Junior Competition and ASEAN Categories.
Local Categories comprises three sub-categories: 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.
Winners of Categories 1 and 2 as well as the ASEAN Category – New Invention and Innovation Category are eligible to compete for the Crown Prince Special CIPTA Award, an additional BND8,000 cash prize and a trophy.
The competition is open to all schools, technical and tertiary academic institutions, government and private organisations and the general public.
All related documents can be obtained from the website at cipta.utb.edu.bn. Registration will be open until January 27, 2025. – James Kon
