ITEX 2022 Aims to Make Great Ideas Commercially Viable

KUALA LUMPUR, 26 May 2022 — For over three decades the International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) has opened doors for thousands of scientists, researchers and inventors to secure investment opportunities that transition their great ideas into commercially viable products. This event bears the hallmark of a thriving ecosystem and provides a platform for the best creative ideas to gain the recognition and attention it deserves. 

ITEX merges the diverse stakeholders in the Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) ecosystem with venture capitalists, funders and institutions, serving as an enabler to facilitate a collaborative and transformative mechanism for high impact and inclusive development of the nation, with the intention to improve the quality of life through innovation. It aspires to enable the convergence of technologies that can transform the corresponding economic sector and in turn, create a multiplier effect on other socio-economic drivers. 

The theme this year, ‘Beyond Innovation’ also runs in parallel with the government’s STI aspiration to expand the frontiers of human knowledge and break the barriers of technology looking beyond the possibilities of today to enable socio-economic transformation and inclusive growth. 

“Heading towards this revolution, the government aspires to upskill and reskill the workforce to stay well-informed with the transformation through our various frameworks, roadmaps and initiatives. The WEF report also stated that, to remain employed in the next five years, 50% of workers will need to upskill or reskill,” Dato’ Sri Dr. Adham Bin Baba, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, said in his officiating speech. 

ITEX 2022 and its concurrent exhibitions, World Young Inventors Exhibition (WYIE), Asia Young Inventors Exhibition (AYIE) and Malaysia Young Inventors Exhibition (MYIE), is opened from 26 – 27 May at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre as a hybrid exhibition, with its virtual edition, ITEX Online that will be live until 30 June. 

The exhibition is also a space for visitors to upskill, learn and be inspired by inventions and the creative use of technology on display. It is a professional marketplace to seek innovative, ESG-compliant inventions to meet industrial needs and improve quality of life. 

ITEX’s key feature is the WYIE, AYIE and the MYIE, aimed at nurturing budding young scientists, providing them with opportunities to also present their creations to funders, investors and representatives from industries, corporations and SMEs. It is open to local, regional and international school students below the age of 20 and aims to inspire an increased participation in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education segment. This year, the platform has also seen two youngest Malaysian inventors aged only 8 years old from SJK (T) Ladang Ebor. 

“In the past, we have been fortunate to witness the transition of many inventions that leveraged on this platform to go on to become commercialised or incorporated into industry-based operations. This is a huge achievement, not only for the young inventors, but us as the enablers,” Academician Tan Sri Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Augustine S.H. Ong, Founding President of the Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS) and Joint Organiser of ITEX 2022 pointed out. 

ITEX awards outstanding and innovative inventions in six categories - Corporate, University, TVET, Research Institution, Individual and International participants, as well as the secondary and primary school inventors, under the WYIE, AYIE and MYIE. 

The highest accolades to be awarded on 27 May at the Malam Budaya Cipta Gala Dinner and WYIE Awards Presentation for ITEX and WYIE respectively includes: the Asian Invention Excellence Award, ITEX 2022 Best Inventions, ITEX 2022 Best Woman Inventor Award, ITEX 2022 Best Woman Invention Award, ITEX 2022 Best Green Invention Award, WYIE Best Young Inventor Excellence Award, AYIE Best Young Inventor Award, MYIE Best Young Inventor Award and the Tan Sri Augustine Ong Award for Teachers. 

A new concurrent event that will make its debut at ITEX this year is the International Conference on Tropical Agriculture (ICTA), an event that brings together leading stakeholders in the agro-tech industry to exchange and share their experiences, research findings, best practices and success stories. Carrying the theme “IR4.0” ICTA 2022 will spearhead the digitalisation of agriculture and feature innovations to counter climate change. 

Other key events and highlights at ITEX 2022 include:

• TechTalk@ITEX – featuring talks by industry experts on the latest in the technology world
• Pitch4Fund – comprising pitching sessions that match inventors with potential funders, opening possibilities of breaking a new product into the market 

Since its inception in 1989, ITEX has been organised annually in Kuala Lumpur and has grown to become the region’s leading exhibition for aspiring inventors in various categories to showcase their new inventions, technologies and products, ultimately to attract investors to commercialise their creations. 

This year, ITEX received close to 500 inventions with participation from 15 countries and regions: Bahrain, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America. 

The Online edition of ITEX, initially planned as an option to overcome the worldwide travel restrictions due to the pandemic, will be retained this year to accommodate participants and interested delegates who are still unable to travel due to selective travel restrictions. 

ITEX is jointly organised by the Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS) and C.I.S. For more information on ITEX and WYIE, please logon to www.itex.com.my

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Chinese Translations
Dato’ Vincent Lim - 拿督林烨成
C.I.S NETWORK SDN BHD - C.I.S NETWORK私人有限公司
International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) – 马来西亚国际发明、创新及科技展
Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS) - 大马发明与科技协会
Academician Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Datuk Dr Augustine S.H. Ong - 丹斯里王顺福博士

About ITEX
The International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) is an annual exhibition which features the best innovations from Asia and beyond. Initiated by the Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS) in 1989 as MINDEX, today ITEX is the region’s leading exhibition to showcase new inventions, technologies and products, targeted at securing investment, manufacturing and commercialisation prospects and partners. The exhibition features inventions across more than twenty categories related to innovation or technology. ITEX is Malaysia’s longest-running invention, innovation and technology exhibition.

The World Young Inventors Exhibition, incorporating the Asian Young Inventors Exhibition and the Malaysian Young Inventors Exhibition are held concurrently at ITEX. This component aims to encourage STEM education among primary and secondary school students.

About C.I.S
C.I.S is an established regional trade and lifestyle exhibition organiser based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Formed in 1994, the company has built a strong reputation for organising trade and lifestyle exhibitions in Malaysia and Indonesia.

C.I.S — the acronym of its name stems from Concept, Innovation and Strategy. Its vision is to deliver its commitment to its clients through a shared vision and strategic partnerships in creating high powered, multi-pronged exhibitions and events.