CITReX 2026 strengthens culture of high-impact research and innovation

11 August 2026

GAMBANG, 7 May 2026 – The 16th Creation, Innovation, Technology & Research Exposition (CITReX) 2026, organised by the Department of Research and Innovation, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), successfully fostered a culture of impactful research that benefits the community.

Chairman of the University Board of Directors, Dato’ Seri Abdul Razak Jaafar, officiated the closing ceremony of CITReX 2026 and presented prizes and recognition to the winners of CITReX 2026.

At the ceremony, Dato’ Seri Abdul Razak expressed his appreciation to the organisers and the entire UMPSA community for successfully organising CITReX 2026, which marked its 16th edition this year.

According to him, CITReX 2026 serves as an important platform that brings together researchers, academics, industry representatives, and students at various levels to share research findings and innovations capable of making an impact on society and industry.

“CITReX provides a highly meaningful platform for researchers to showcase innovative products and pioneering discoveries to industry partners and the local community.

“Looking at the clusters contested this year, such as climate transition, smart systems technology, smart cities, rare earth element management, and food security, they are highly relevant to the challenges and demands of today’s industry,” he said.

He also emphasised that all the research clusters successfully demonstrate the role of science and engineering in everyday life while bringing the university’s official tagline, Technology for Society, to life.

He added that the nation’s aspirations through the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint (RPTM) 2026–2035 now focus on the concept of responsible RDICE, namely Research, Development, Innovation, Commercialisation and Economy, as outlined under the Sixth Shift of the RPTM.

“Every innovation produced should not remain merely as research material but should instead be translated into products with the potential to be marketed and benefit society.

“Through this RDICE principle, every innovation resulting from CITReX should not remain merely on research papers or as exhibits in laboratories.

“It must progress to the precommercialisation phase so that it can solve societal problems and contribute to sustainable economic growth,” he said.

He also commended UMPSA’s proactive efforts through the implementation of the UMPSA30 Strategic Plan, which emphasises the Advanced TVET and Entrepreneurship Shift in developing new talent and technologies to strengthen future industries.

Over the three-day event, CITReX 2026 attracted 285 entries involving UMPSA staff and students, higher education institutions, industries, and schools.

The programme also involved 41 internal judges and 25 external judges who assessed aspects of creativity, research impact, commercialisation potential, and technology usability.

CITReX 2026 was further strengthened through the organisation of the INNOPINTAR programme under Pemerkasaan Ilmu dan Teknologi untuk Aspirasi Rakyat (PINTAR), aimed at expanding the culture of innovation and STEM from the school level.

The ceremony saw the project ‘Green UV-Curable and Self-Healing Lignin-Based Coating Aerosol Paint for Automotive Application’ win the Best of the Best Award.

The research project was undertaken by Associate Professor Ts. Dr. Rasidi Roslan, Ts. Dr. Nurjannah Salim, Ts. Dr. Siti Noor Hidayah Mustapha, Professor Chm Dr. Mohd Hasbi Ab Rahim, Associate Professor Chm Dr. Izan Izwan Misnon, Nur Izzah Atirah Mat Hussain, and Ts. Nur Aminaton Sufia Yuharmon.

In a related development, UMPSA continued to record encouraging achievements in innovation, with the number of successfully commercialised products increasing from 11 in 2024 to 15 in 2025.

The number of intellectual property (IP) registrations at the university also increased to 93 in 2025 from 64 in the previous year, reflecting the strengthening of the university’s research and innovation ecosystem.

Concluding his speech, Dato’ Seri Abdul Razak Jaafar congratulated all the winners and expressed hope that collaboration between UMPSA, industry, government agencies, and the community would continue to be strengthened to drive sustainability and shared prosperity.

Also present were Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Ts. Dr. Aida Mustapha; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni), Professor Ts. Dr. Mohd Rusllim Mohamed; Director of Rakyat Consortium Sdn. Bhd., Dato’ Syed Azaudin Syed Ahmad; and Chief Executive Officer of UMPSA Holdings, Ts. Mohd Fadzil Mohd Idris.

By: Naqiah Puaad, Centre for Corporate Communications
Translation by: Ts. Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, UMPSA Press