The prestigious Crown Prince CIPTA Award 2025 (Malay translation: Anugerah CIPTA Duli Pengiran Muda Mahkota 2025) was officially launched today at a grand ceremony in The Indera Kayangan Ballroom, The Empire Hotel Brunei. This launch marks a significant milestone as it celebrates the 20th anniversary of this biennial competition, organised by the Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) in partnership with Brunei LNG Sendirian Berhad (Brunei LNG) as the main sponsor.
The event was graced by the esteemed Guest of Honour, Yang Berhormat Datin Seri Setia Dr. Dayang Hajah Romaizah binti Hj Md Salleh, Minister of Education.
Distinguished guests in attendance included Yang Mulia Dayang Hajah Zuraini binti Hj Sharbawi, Acting Attorney General; Yang Mulia Awang Mohammad Azmi bin Haji Mohd Hanifah, Deputy Minister (Energy) at the Prime Minister’s Office; Yang Mulia Dayang Hajah Farida binti Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib, Permanent Secretary (Energy) at the Prime Minister’s Office; Yang Mulia Dr. Haji Azman bin Ahmad, Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) Ministry Of Education; Yang Mulia Awang Mohammed Harris bin Brigadier General (RTD) Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim, Acting Permanent Secretary (Economy, Trade and Industry), Ministry of Finance and Economy; Yang Mulia Awang Haji Hairul Mohd Daud bin Haji Abdul Karim, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC); and Yang Mulia Awang Adeleye Falade, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Brunei LNG Sendirian Berhad (Brunei LNG) and Co-Chairperson of the CIPTA 2025 Executive Committee.
The ceremony commenced with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa Selamat, followed by a Welcoming Speech by Yang Mulia Datin Paduka Professor Dr. Dayang Hajah Zohrah binti Haji Sulaiman, Vice-Chancellor of UTB and Chairperson of the CIPTA 2025 Executive Committee.
The Guest of Honour then delivered her speech, officially launching the Crown Prince CIPTA Award 2025, followed by a multimedia presentation. Professor Dr. Sivakumar Manickam delivered a keynote session, and the Guest of Honour visited the showcases and exhibitions featuring previous CIPTA winners.
20 Years of Fostering Innovation: CIPTA Award Celebrates Green Future
The 20th anniversary of the Crown Prince CIPTA Award marks a significant milestone in fostering creativity, invention, and innovation in Brunei Darussalam and the ASEAN region. Over the past two decades, CIPTA has inspired countless innovators and has become a beacon of excellence in technological advancement.
The acronym CIPTA stands for Creative, Innovative Product and Technological Advancement. It is also a Malay word meaning 'to create' or 'to invent'. This prestigious competition aims to cultivate a culture of creativity, invention, and innovation.
The theme for CIPTA 2025 is 'Green Innovations', developed in response to the global call for transformative approaches to address challenges while safeguarding the planet's resources. Focusing on sustainability and ecological consciousness, this theme seeks to reshape industries, economies, and societies for a greener future.
At its core, the 'Green Innovations' theme seeks to harmonise human activities with nature, drawing inspiration from the complex ecosystems that sustain life on Earth. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as renewable energy, biodegradable materials, and circular economy principles, these innovations strive to minimise ecological footprints while maximising efficiency and resource utilisation.
The theme highlights global initiatives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to climate action, clean energy, and responsible consumption and production. It calls on individuals, businesses, and governments to embrace sustainability as a guiding principle in all facets of life.
Aligned with Brunei Darussalam's commitment to sustainability and environmental conservation, CIPTA 2025 reinforces the nation's resolve to pioneer green technologies and practices. By adopting Green Innovations, we look forward to a more sustainable tomorrow for current and future generations.
New Additions for CIPTA 2025
Medals for Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards: For the first time, participating inventions will be eligible for gold, silver, and bronze medal awards. These medals will honour the top-scoring and most innovative products.
Special Award for Sustainable Energy: Recognising innovations in energy production focusing on sustainability, this award will be given to the highest-scoring projects in sustainable energy within each category:
- Local Categories 1 and 2, and ASEAN – New Invention & Innovation Category: B$1500 and a certificate.
- Local Category 3, and ASEAN – Young Inventor Category: B$1000 and a certificate.
The Special Award for Sustainable Energy, newly introduced for CIPTA 2025, aims to acknowledge and encourage advancements in sustainable energy technology. This initiative focuses on the commitment to fostering sustainable energy innovations in Brunei Darussalam and the ASEAN region.
Categories and Awards:
There are three main categories: ‘Local Categories’, ‘Smart Junior Competition’ and ‘ASEAN Categories’. The Local Categories comprise three categories: ‘Category 1: Creating New Product, Process or Technology’; ‘Category 2: Modifying Existing Product, Process or Technology’; and ‘Category 3: Creating New or Modifying Existing Product, Process or Technology by Young Inventors’.
The Smart Junior Competition is open to Bruneian school students from lower secondary school or equivalent to Year 7 to Year 9. Participants can deliver their innovative idea for a new technological product or process or a modification(s) of an existing product, process or technology that can improve or enhance its function or quality in a report and presentation. The objective of this competition is to encourage and promote creativity and innovation among the younger generation.
The ASEAN Categories are comprised of the ‘New Invention & Innovation Category’ and the ‘Young Inventor Category’.
Each entry will be judged based on its novelty and creativity, relevance to the theme, end product deployment at par with the specified technological readiness level (TRL), and social, economic and sustainable design considerations. Assessment of submitted projects will be conducted in two stages, starting with the Preliminary Assessment. Only qualified entries will be allowed to proceed to the Final Assessment. The assessment will be evaluated based on the report, presentation and demonstration of the products.
Entries with the 1st, 2nd & 3rd top 3 marks will be awarded the best invention cash prize accordingly. This is followed by the 4th and 5th top marks for special mention.
CATEGORY 1, 2 AND 3 (LOCAL CATEGORIES):
The winners for Category 1 and Category 2 will receive:
1st Place Prize - B$ 7000.00 cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
2nd Place Prize - B$ 5000.00 cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
3rd Place Prize - B$ 3000.00 cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
Two special mention Prizes – B$ 700.00 cash and certificates
The prizes for Category 3 are as follows:
1st Place Prize- B$ 3500.00 cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
2nd Place Prize - B$ 2000.00 cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
3rd Place Prize - B$ 1000.00 cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
Two special mention Prizes – B$ 500.00 cash and certificates
SMART JUNIOR COMPETITION
Winners in the Smart Junior Competition will receive:
1st Place Prize - B$ 1500.00 Cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
2nd Place Prize - B$ 1000.00 Cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
3rd Place Prize - B$ 500.00 Cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
Two Special Mention Prizes – B$ 300.00 Cash and certificates.
ASEAN CATEGORIES
The winners for New Invention & Innovation Category will receive:
1st Place Prize - B$ 7000.00 Cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
2nd Place Prize - B$ 5000.00 Cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
3rd Place Prize - B$ 3000.00 Cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
Two Special Mention Prizes – B$ 700.00 Cash and certificates.
The winners for Young Inventor Category will receive:
1st Place Prize - B$ 3500.00 Cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
2nd Place Prize - B$ 2000.00 Cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
3rd Place Prize - B$ 1000.00 Cash, a trophy, a medal & certificate
Two Special Prizes – B$ 500.00 Cash and certificates.
SPECIAL AWARD - THE CROWN PRINCE CIPTA AWARD
Winners of the Local Category in Categories 1 and 2 and the ASEAN Category - New Invention & Innovation Category are eligible to compete for the Crown Prince Special CIPTA Award, an additional B$8000 cash prize and a trophy.
The competition encompasses all areas of Science, Technology and Engineering. It is open to all schools, technical and tertiary academic institutions, government and private organisations and the general public.
With the official launch of CIPTA 2025, all related documents can be obtained from the website at cipta.utb.edu.bn. Registration will be open from 23 May 2024 until 27 January 2025.
This biennial competition, now in its 20th year, celebrates innovation and creativity, providing a platform for individuals and organisations to showcase their ground-breaking ideas and contributions. The Crown Prince CIPTA Award 2025 represents a significant collaboration between UTB and Brunei LNG, fostering a culture of innovation and technological advancement in the country.
CIPTA 2025 welcomes innovative minds from Brunei Darussalam and ASEAN nations to showcase their ideas for a sustainable future. CIPTA remains steadfast in inspiring and empowering individuals to create a greener, more sustainable world.
