The 2025 IEEE Region 10 (R10) Innovation Challenge was held in conjunction with the 38th IEEE Region 10 Conference (TENCON 2025) at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, from 27–28 October 2025. The Innovation Challenge was organized by the IEEE Malaysia Section in collaboration with IEEE Region 10, the IEEE Malaysia Sabah Subsection, and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
TWith hundreds of delegates from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, the conference served as a beacon of innovation, collaboration, and technological progress—truly reflecting IEEE’s mission of advancing technology for humanity.
In addition to the final round of the IEEE R10 Innovation Challenge, several other IEEE-driven innovation activities were conducted, including the IEEE Borneo Innovation Showcase, IEEE Roboneo Showcase, IEEE Tracer Hero Competition, IEEE Micro Robotics Competition, and the U-Science Showcase. These impactful innovation events welcomed a total of 300 participants, special guests, and committee members, contributing significantly to their overall success. The events also attracted more than 500 local and international visitors, including TENCON delegates, primary and secondary school students, as well as polytechnic and university students. Collectively, the IEEE R10 Innovation Challenge and its associated programs created a vibrant ecosystem for innovation, education, and community engagement—strengthening Sabah’s role as a regional hub for emerging technologies and STEM talent development.
IEEE R10 Innovation Challenge
The final round of the IEEE R10 Innovation Challenge was held at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, on 27–28 October 2025, in conjunction with IEEE R10 TENCON 2025. A total of 12 teams, comprising 30 participants from Bangladesh, China, India, and Malaysia, competed in the challenge under the coordination of Dr. Akila Wijethunga, Ms. Emi Yano, Dr. Aroland Kiring, and Dr. Lim Kit Guan. The event attracted more than 500 local and international visitors, including TENCON delegates and students from primary, secondary, polytechnic, and university levels.
The opening ceremony was officiated by the Guest of Honour, Dr. Sharmila Mohamed Salleh, CEO of the Malaysia Innovation Foundation from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia. She was joined by the TENCON Guest of Honour, Prof. Ir. Dr. Rosalam Sarbatly,Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS);Ir. Dr. Bernard Lim, Chair of the IEEE Malaysia Section; Ir. Ts. Dr. Nordin Ramli, General Chair of TENCON 2025; and Dr. Kenneth Teo, Chair of the IEEE Malaysia Sabah Subsection. The dignitaries visited each finalist’s booth to learn more about their innovation projects. The session continued with an innovation talk by Dr. Sharmila on commercialisation readiness levels, followed by a wrap-up session to summarise the key outcomes of the challenge.
Four professional judges representing IEEE, academia, industry, and the community—Prof. Dr. Norliza Mohd Noor (IEEE Kuala Lumpur Subsection’s chair), Associate Prof. Dr. Azali Saudi (UMS Research Management Centre’s ex-director), Dr. Yoong Hou Pin (Uncle Bob’s project manager), and Mr. Julkifli bin Awang Besar (Beaufort Community College’s director)—evaluated the student projects. During the pitching session, participants presented their objectives and demonstrated the real-world applications of their solutions. They highlighted design innovation, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness, and responded to questions from the judges. The second evaluation phase involved live demonstrations of fully functional systems at the exhibition booths.
The event concluded on the second evening with the Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony. The winners of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes were announced and presented with their awards. A group photo with all participants marked the successful conclusion of the IEEE R10 Innovation Challenge.
IEEE Borneo Innovation Showcase
In conjunction with the IEEE R10 Innovation Challenge, Politeknik Kota Kinabalu was invited to showcase student projects from 27–30 October. A total of 46 projects involving 56 students were coordinated by Ts. Dr. Farah Asyikin binti Abd Rahman from the Electrical Engineering Department. Throughout the four-day event, students from the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Departments presented and demonstrated their innovations at booths located opposite the IEEE R10 Innovation Challenge exhibition area. This setup created an excellent platform for interaction, allowing both international and local participants to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and expose local Sabah innovation products to a wider global audience.
The showcase also strengthened the link between education and industry by exposing students to real-world expectations and improving their career readiness. Through hands-on project demonstrations, students gained practical skills, industry-relevant insights, and valuable experience in presenting solutions that address real operational challenges.
Politeknik Kota Kinabalu continues to show strong commitment to producing future-ready graduates by integrating Industry 4.0 elements into its curriculum. The projects on display reflected not only technical competence, but also creativity, problem-solving ability, and awareness of sustainability and community needs. These hands-on experiences prepared the students to become confident contributors and innovators in the future.
IEEE Roboneo Showcase
Beaufort Community College was invited to take part in the IEEE Region 10 Innovation Challenge held at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Kota Kinabalu, from 27–29 October. The delegation was led by Ts. Julkifli Awang Besar, Director of Beaufort Community College, together with Ts. Mazuwan Mustaffa, Head of the Entrepreneurship Unit, and En. Shalizan Kadir, Head of the Quality Unit. The programme brought together researchers, innovators, and academics from across the Asia-Pacific region to share research findings and exchange ideas in innovation, technology, and engineering. Beaufort Community College’s participation in the exhibition reflects its strong commitment to strengthening research and innovation, in line with its goal of advancing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) towards global standards.
Tracer Hero Competition
The Tracer Hero Competition was held on 28 October at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The event invited students from the Program Pendidikan Khas Integrasi (PPKI), a special education programme within mainstream schools for students with learning challenges. Led by Ts. Nuratika Asyurah binti Abdullah and her team, the competition involved 20 participants from four secondary schools. PPKI students attend specialised classes tailored to their learning needs while remaining in the same school environment as their peers. The programme follows a customised curriculum that supports their academic, social, and personal development. It mainly serves students who are physically typical but face learning difficulties or slower cognitive development and is taught by trained special education teachers in regular schools and vocational institutions.
During the competition, participants learned basic programming for a line-following robot and tested their robots on a dedicated track. The activities required strong focus, patience, and guidance, as many of the students needed encouragement throughout the process. After completing the programming tasks, the students raced their robot cars to complete the challenge in the shortest possible time. Dr. Kenneth Teo, Chair of the IEEE Malaysia Sabah Subsection, together with Ts. Julkifli Awang Besar, Director of Beaufort Community College presented awards to the winners. The competition provided meaningful community engagement for students with special needs and gave them valuable hands-on experience in a supportive environment. Events like this help build confidence, improve social interaction, and support their overall personal development and well-being.
Micro Robotics Competition
The two-day Micro Robotics Competition was held at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Kota Kinabalu, on 29–30 October. Organised by Dr. Sitti Junaida binti Ambo and Dr. Ghazali bin Ismail, the event brought together 93 participants and 43 delegates from 43 schools across Sabah.
The competition featured line-following robots that navigated black-and-white tracks with intersections guided by Path Finder blocks. It provided an exciting and hands-on way for students to explore robotics, programming, and STEM concepts, especially benefiting those who learn better through visual and practical activities.
Participants worked directly with robotic components, sensors, and microcontrollers, gaining practical experience in automation, electronics, and control systems. They also developed problem-solving and critical thinking skills by testing designs, identifying faults, and troubleshooting their robots.
Using block-based programming, students learned basic coding concepts such as sequencing, logic, and simple algorithms. The competition encouraged creativity as teams modified and improved their robot designs to achieve better performance.
As the activities were team-based, students also built important soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and idea-sharing. Overall, the Micro Robotics Competition offered a well-rounded learning experience that supported both technical skills and personal development among young learners.
U-Science Showcase
U-Science from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), together with the UMS Robotics Club from Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Tropical Forestry (FPT), and the Academy of Arts & Creative Technology (ASTiF), took part in an exhibition held alongside the IEEE Region 10 Conference (TENCON 2025). The exhibition ran from 27–28 October 2025 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) and attracted more than 500 visitors, including conference delegates, primary and secondary school students, and UMS students.
The participating teams showcased a wide range of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) innovations. Highlights included an interactive STEM exhibition, a robotics showcase, presentations of the PER- SENSE project outcomes, and clay-based batik pattern displays. These exhibits drew strong interest from both local and international visitors. A special sharing session by the CEO of Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia (YIM), Dr. Sharmila Mohamed Salleh, further enriched the programme by highlighting the role of grassroots innovation and community empowerment through science and technology. Participation in the IEEE R10 Innovation Challenge strengthened collaboration between UMS and the IEEE professional community while reinforcing U-Science’s commitment to promoting STEM education and nurturing a strong culture of innovation at both local and international levels.