The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre congratulates Cho Hui Yue, Lim Zhi Juin, and their supervisor, Asst. Prof. ChM. Dr. Lai Sin Yuan, from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering for winning Silver Awards at the International Virtual Competition of Creative and Innovative Idea 2026 (IVCCII 2026), held on 16 May 2026.

Organized by MNNF Network, the event provides a platform for students to showcase their ideas and engage in creative problem-solving on a global stage. More than 10 universities participated in this international competition.

Cho Hui Yue, a second-year undergraduate in the Chemical Engineering Programme, received a Silver Award for her project “From Light to Protection: Smart Biodegradable Packaging for Perishable Food". The project focuses on the development of a novel biodegradable active food packaging system as an alternative to non-biodegradable, petroleum-based plastics. It offers a leak-resistant and sustainable packaging solution that extends the shelf life of perishable food products while remaining compatible with existing commercial manufacturing processes.

Lim Zhi Juin, a second-year undergraduate in the Chemical Engineering Programme, also received a Silver Award for her project “ThermoStable Banana Transport Box Using CrodaTherm 15". The project introduces an innovative, sustainable, temperature-controlled multilayer transport box designed to reduce post-harvest losses of bananas during transportation in tropical climates. By eliminating the need for active refrigeration during transit, the reusable box reduces logistics costs, increases profit margins for farmers, and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to food waste reduction and climate action.

Asst. Prof. ChM. Dr. Lai Sin Yuan's research lies at the cutting edge of sustainability, focusing on green chemistry, materials science, nanomaterials, photocatalysis, biomass, biofuels, biopolymer, and the integration of machine learning for sustainable development. To date, she has published 43 articles, with 37 indexed in the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection. Her strong academic footprint is further commanded by a Google Scholar h-index of 14 and a Scopus h-index of 12. 

Dr. Lai is currently seeking highly motivated Master's students to join her dynamic research team. If you are eager to work on impactful, sustainable technologies, please contact her directly at sinyuan.lai@xmu.edu.my.