The FRIM researchers received three gold, three silver and four bronze ITEX’09 awards, including the HKTA Award for the Best Invention in Sanitation (from Hong Kong).
The gold awards went to the FRIM forest product group led by Dr Hamdan Husain for the GFR-V Composites; the medicinal plant group led by Fadzureena Jamaludin for the rapid, reliable and sensitive screening enzymatic method for anti gout properties; and another medicinal plant group led by Mailina Jamil for ZEoGo, Natural extracts for reducing inflammatory related gout ailment.
The group led by Mastura Mohtar, which received a silver medal for the Eco natura handwash, also garnered the HKTA Award. The other two silver award recipients were the FRIM biotechnology groups—one led by Dr Wan Tarmeze Wan Ariffin for the POPScrimTM- Pressed Oil Palm Scrim Lumber, and the other, by Dr Marzalina Mansor for the ScrimBAMTM–Engineeered lumber from crushed and dismantled bamboo strands.
The products awarded bronze were the Kesum leaf standardized antioxidant extract & products (medicinal plant group led by Dr Vimala Subramaniam); the alligner for internal bond test and Kenaf Board (both by forest product group led by Mohamad Jani Saad); as well as the low technology non-mist propagation system for large scale propagation Kacip fatimah (Labisia pumilla) (by Dr Aminah Hamzah).
ITEX 2009, organised by the Malaysian Invention & Design Society (MINDS), was officially launched by the Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, YB Tuan Haji Fadillah Yusof on 15 May 2009.
Held annually since 1989, ITEX is the region’s leading exhibition showcasing new inventions, technologies and products, aimed at promoting and securing investment, manufacturing and commercialization prospects and partners.
The exhibition brings together 600 local and international inventions and innovations by universities, research institutes, individual inventors as well as those from the corporate sector. The participating countries included Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand.
