Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) marked the successful conclusion of the VIBES Innovation Challenge@UNIMAS 2025, a dynamic platform that brought together 36 student teams in a spirited competition of innovation, creativity, and real-world problem-solving.
The event, held at the DeTAR Putra, UNIMAS, was the culmination of a strategic collaboration between Velesto Energy Berhad, the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), and UNIMAS. The initiative aimed to empower Sarawak’s youth to tackle pressing engineering, digital innovation, sustainability, and education challenges.
In his welcoming remarks, UNIMAS Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit emphasized the university’s commitment to bridging academic learning with industry relevance. “This challenge is more than a competition – it is a movement to empower our youth with the tools, mentorship, and exposure they need to innovate with purpose,” he said.
He also called on UNIMAS lecturers to take up the challenge of embedding industry elements into their courses, such as:
- Inviting guest lecturers from industry
- Organizing industrial visits
- Facilitating collaborative projects with corporate partners
“These efforts are essential to ensure our graduates are not only academically competent but also industry-ready,” he added.
The competition concluded with the announcement of the top three winners:
- Champion: RM7,000
- First Runner-Up: RM5,000
- Second Runner-Up: RM4,000
The total prize pool of RM25,000 awarded to 12 teams of semi-finalists and finalists served as a reward and a recognition of the immense potential within Sarawak’s next generation of innovators.
Representing the Deputy Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, the Deputy Minister for International Trade, Industry and Investment Sarawak, Datuk Dr Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, officiated the closing ceremony. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of nurturing a future-ready, innovation-driven talent pool to support Sarawak’s transition to a digital and sustainable economy.
“This initiative reflects the power of collaboration between industry, academia, and government in cultivating Sarawak’s future innovators,” he said. “It is a testament to how shared partnerships can catalyse transformative growth by offering young talents a platform to apply knowledge to real-world challenges.”
The Deputy Minister highlighted the Sarawak Government’s commitment to:
- Promoting TVET and innovation-driven entrepreneurship
- Increasing STEM enrolment to 60% by 2030
- Launching the Free Tertiary Education Scheme in 2026, which will cover tuition and provide living allowances for eligible Sarawakian students
He also praised the VIBES initiative for aligning with the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4 & SDG 17).
The VIBES Innovation Challenge was designed as a hackathon-style competition, where students applied their academic knowledge to develop actionable solutions for real-world problems. Participants benefited from ideation workshops, mentorship sessions, and expert evaluations led by professionals from Velesto, SEDC, and UNIMAS.
The initiative aligns with Sarawak’s broader vision for a sustainable, knowledge-driven economy, and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
As the curtains close on this year’s challenge, UNIMAS reaffirms its role as a catalyst for innovation and a bridge between academia and industry. The university looks forward to expanding such initiatives, ensuring that Sarawak’s youth continue to be inspired, empowered, and equipped to lead the future.
prepared by Hasnain Hussain and the UnIC team