Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference in Malaysia 2023: A Resounding Success with Record Attendance.

Cyberjaya – Leave a Nest Malaysia successfully organized the Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference (HIC) in Malaysia 2023, which was held at HIVE 5, MRANTI Park on 18th February. The conference gathered a total of 232 attendees, comprising 65 poster presenters, 7 tech splash presenters, 1 keynote speaker, 10 panelists and 15 exhibition booths. HIC is a platform that brings together experts from various fields in Japan and Malaysia to collaborate and explore innovative solutions.

Effortless registration at the Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference (HIC) in Malaysia 2023 with QR codes simplifying the process for attendees.

The organizers express pride in having MRANTI and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) as the strategic partners, and Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, University of Nottingham Malaysia, and AIMST University as their university partners for the event. The conference was able to bring together leading experts in agricultural technology to discuss the latest advancements in food security and sustainability with the support of their main partner, ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and session partners, SIGMAXYZ Group, Euglena Co., Ltd., Aerodyne Group, and Liberaware Co., Ltd.

Prior to the conference, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony was held between Leave a Nest Malaysia and UPM to strengthen the collaboration of both parties. The ceremony was officiated by Prof. Dr. Nazamid Saari, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation) of UPM. The signing of the MoU between Leave a Nest Malaysia and UPM was witnessed by Dr. Yukihiro Maru, Founder and Group CEO of Leave a Nest Group.

Leave a Nest Malaysia and UPM officials sign a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen research and innovation collaborations

The project leader, Dr. Suzianti Iskandar Vijaya then welcomed the conference attendees in her welcoming remark and explained the relevance of the conference theme, which was “Unlocking Frontier Agricultural Technology towards Food Security and Sustainability”. Dr. Suzianti highlighted how researchers face challenges in implementing technology into society. She also emphasized the importance of realizing that simply bridging the gap between one component in an ecosystem is not sufficient. Instead, she urged the audience to team up and foster cross-border exchanges and collaborations to improve the entire ecosystem.

The session also included a short remark by the conference's main sponsor, ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Mr. Yasunari Sato discussed their future plans to embark into agribusiness and invest in the latest agricultural technologies. Their participation in the conference demonstrated their commitment to supporting sustainable farming practices and promoting food security.

The conference's keynote session, titled “Food Security: Feeding the Future Malaysia” which was sponsored by Aerodyne Group, featured a keynote speech by Encik Roshidi bin Mat Moor, the Undersecretary of Agricultural Modernization Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Mr. Roshidi bin Mat Moor highlighted the initiatives taken by the ministry to support the agriculture sector and ensure food security in the country. He also mentioned the recently launched National Food Security Policy 2021-2025, which aims to strengthen the resilience of the country's food system. Mr. Roshidi expressed his support for the efforts of Leave a Nest in improving the implementation of technology into the agricultural ecosystem of Malaysia and emphasised the need for collaborations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the food system. The panel session featured panellists, Mr. Razwan Zakaria, Chief Product Officer of Aerodyne Group, Prof. Dr. Jennifer Ann Harikrishna, Director of Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture at the University of Malaya, and Dato' Wong Yew Kai, CEO of Strategy & Business Curation at Jetpro Technology. During the session, Mr. Razwan Zakaria also mentioned that Aerodyne Group plans to continue their collaboration with other universities for their Agrimor initiative. The panel discussion provided valuable insights into the current and future challenges of food security in Malaysia and the initiatives being undertaken to address them.

Prof. Dr. Jennifer Ann Harikrishna shared her valuable insights for the keynote session.

The Research Splash Session featured 15 selected poster presenters out of 65 posters. Each presenter had three minutes to present the breakthroughs of their research in front of the audience. This session provided a platform for researchers to showcase their innovative ideas and research findings related to agribiotechnology and food security. After the presentation, the poster session commenced in the foyer area, where attendees had the opportunity to interact more actively with the presenters and discuss their research in greater detail. This session allowed for the exchange of knowledge and ideas among researchers and attendees, promoting collaboration and advancing the field of agricultural technology.

Knowledge exchange at its best! 65 posters were presented by universities and agencies from Malaysia and Japan, sparking engaging discussions during the poster session.

The afternoon session of the conference began with the first panel session titled “Mechanisation and Automation in Modern Farming,” which was sponsored by Liberaware. The panel featured Mr. Akira Ukaji, Vice President of Liberaware Co., Ltd., Mr. Nor Hassuddin Abdullah, Assistant Director of Terengganu Department of Agriculture, and Prof. Dr. Mardeni Bin Roslee, Chairman of the Centre of Wireless Technology at Multimedia University. The panellists discussed the role of mechanization and automation in modern farming and its impact on food security and sustainability. The session provided valuable insights into the current trends and technological advancements in the agricultural industry from the perspective of startup and university researchers, paving the way for future collaborations and innovations in the field, especially in the state of Terengganu.

Industry and academic experts discussed the role of Mechanisation and Automation in Modern Farming during Panel Session 1

Next, the Startup Tech Splash session at the conference featured seven innovative startups, including ACeT Innovates, Qarbotech, SHE Empire, Brainey, Phage-cific, and Abmanan Biomedical. These startups were given a platform to showcase their technologies and innovations in the field of agricultural technology. The session provided an opportunity for the startups to network with potential investors, partners, and customers, and gain valuable exposure to the wider agricultural technology community. The startups presented a range of solutions, from sustainable agriculture to biotechnology, that has the potential to revolutionize the industry and contribute to the advancement of food security and sustainability.

Entrepreneurs took to the stage to pitch their innovative startup ideas during the exciting Startup Tech Splash session.

The final session of the conference was panel session 2 titled “Cultivating Sustainable Energy from Bioresources.” Powered by Euglena Co., Ltd., the session was moderated by Dr. Ezral Ghazali and featured Mr. Mitsuru Izumo, President & CEO of Euglena Co., Ltd., Dr. Muaz Mohd Zaini Makhtar, Deputy Director of the Centre for Innovation & Consultation at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Prof. Ts. Dr. Hidayah Ariffin, Deputy Dean (Industry and Community Relations) and Head of Biorefinery Complex at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences at Universiti Putra Malaysia, and Mr. Chor Chee Hoe, Co-Founder & CEO of Qarbotech. The panel discussed Malaysia's potential to become a powerhouse for sustainable energy from bioresources and highlighted opportunities for collaboration between Japanese and Malaysian researchers and startups.

Dr. Ezral Ghazali moderated the final session on Cultivating Sustainable Energy from Bioresources, exploring innovative solutions for a greener future.

Overall, the conference was a great success, with attendees engaging in thought-provoking discussions and sharing their insights on how to unlock frontier agricultural technology towards food security and sustainability. Leave a Nest Malaysia is committed to continuing to work with partners and experts to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in Malaysia and beyond. Thank you to all the partners, panellists, presenters and conference attendees, see you again next year.