BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 12th NOVEMBER 2025 – The International Higher Education Summit and Exhibition on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Commercialisation (IHEEIC 2025) culminated with a closing ceremony held at Mutiara Hall, Mutiara Exchange, Jerudong on 12th November 2025.
The two-day event was organised by the Office of Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Industry Engagement and Enterprise Development (OAVCIEED) and supported by the Office of Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Sustainability (OAVCRIS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD).
The closing ceremony was attended by Dr Hazri Haji Kifle, UBD Vice-Chancellor. Also present were UBD Principal Officers, local and international collaborators, sponsors, speakers, mentors, and participants, who celebrated groundbreaking innovations and recognised outstanding achievements in entrepreneurship and research commercialisation.
The Startup Induction Grant under the SEED Category was awarded to ‘AlphaSense’ and ‘Agriboost’; both emerging from UBD’s Discovery year Incubation programme. AlphaSense aims to revolutionise early literacy education with built-in sensors that trigger audio feedback and strong visual contrast for low-vision learners while Agriboost is an on-site Internet of Things (IoT) bioconversion bin that transforms organic waste into organic fertiliser, reducing Brunei Darussalam’s dependence on imported inputs and disposal costs. The winning teams from this category received BND1,000 each.
In the Accelerator Category, ‘CircularEat’ and ‘Simulated Pharmacy Centre’ received BND3,000 each. CircularEat was created from a Venture Lab programme and is a platform channeling surplus food from eateries and markets into affordable last-hour offers and targeted donations. Recognised under the ASEAN Data Science Explorers competition 2025, the project aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ASEAN Blueprint frameworks. Simulated Pharmacy Centre, led by Dr Valeria Shang from Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences (PAPRSB IHS), UBD is Brunei Darussalam’s first simulated pharmacy facility providing hands-on training in dispensing accuracy, clinical decision-making, and patient-centred communication while integrating sustainability practices aligning with UN SDGs 3, 4, 9, and 12.
During the closing ceremony, IHEEIC 2025 introduced the flagship Venture Pitch Award (VPA), designed to empower research commercialisation and patent development, strengthening the university’s strategic direction toward creating more spin-off companies from research innovations. The top three Pre-Patent Category winners were: ‘Technology Meets Biology: C. elegans as a Tool for Understanding Human Diseases’ led by Associate Professor Dr Hajah Mas Rina Wati Haji Abdul Hamid from PAPRSB IHS, UBD; ‘IoT-Based Water Quality Monitoring Systems in Relation to Flood and Drought in Brunei’ led by Dr Hajah Wida Susanty Haji Suhaili from Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB); and ‘A Novel Integration of Virtual Reality and Psychospiritual Coaching (Ar-Rahmah)’ led by Dr Mona Kassim, a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner and founder of MuBn Learning and Growth Company. The winners received a BND10,000 Sustainability Research Grant from OAVCRIS, UBD as well as a BND1,000 cash prize.
In the Post-Patent Category, ‘Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Fungal Photocatalytic Coating Film and Method for Producing’ led by Dr Haji Mohammad Redza Haji Husin from UBD; ‘GoSwiet’ led by Associate Professor Dr Liza Md Salleh from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) – a premium-grade Swietenia mahagoni seed oil extracted using Supercritical CO₂ green technology; and ‘BreSih’ led by Dr Asmah Husaini from PAPRSB HIS, UBD – an innovative patient-centered bedpan system featuring integrated water supply and drainage mechanism within an ergonomic inflatable design; secured the top three spots. The winners received BND2,000 cash prize each.
The Venture Pitch Award represents a significant milestone in accelerating the commercialisation pathway for university research. This initiative supports institutional objectives to foster entrepreneurial ecosystems, transform cutting-edge research into market-ready solutions, and establish spin-off companies, empowering researchers to translate their discoveries into impactful products and services that address real-world challenges.
IHEEIC 2025 successfully demonstrated the power of collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship in advancing higher education excellence and creating sustainable solutions for regional and global challenges.