In a world drowning in plastic waste, you witness a breakthrough that could change everything. Deep in the laboratories of Curtin University Malaysia, researchers have cracked the code to transform agricultural waste into the next generation of biodegradable plastics. This October, their revolutionary discovery earned them the most prestigious recognition in university innovation.
# Curtin Malaysia Research Team Wins Curtinnovation Award 2025 for Groundbreaking Bioplastics Innovation
## Catalyst
The spark ignited from an urgent global crisis demanding immediate action. Two massive environmental challenges—plastic pollution choking our oceans and mountains of agricultural waste rotting in landfills—converged to inspire a team of visionary researchers at Curtin University Malaysia. Associate Professor Tan Inn Shi, alongside Associate Professor Henry Foo Chee Yew, Ir. Tian Foon Howe, Dr. Kevin Tian Xiang Tong, and Associate Professor Lam Man Kee, recognized that these seemingly separate problems could become the solution to each other.
Their ambitious project, ‘Waste to Bioplastic – Transforming Waste Biomass into Next-Gen Bioplastics,’ emerged from this critical insight. Rather than viewing marine macroalgae and oil palm empty fruit bunches as waste products, the team envisioned them as raw materials for sustainable manufacturing. This bold perspective would soon capture the attention of judges at the 2025 Curtinnovation Awards in Perth.
## Rising Action
However, transforming this vision into reality required overcoming significant scientific hurdles. The team faced the complex challenge of developing an innovative green bioprocess that could efficiently convert organic waste into high-quality bioplastics. Using cutting-edge ozonolysis and dilute acid treatment techniques, they methodically worked to break down marine macroalgae and oil palm empty fruit bunches into fermentable sugars.
The competition proved fierce, with a record 109 submissions vying for recognition across nine categories.
Meanwhile, Curtin Malaysia had already established a remarkable track record at these prestigious awards. In 2021, Associate Professor Agus Saptoro and PhD student Terence Chia Yi Kai had won recognition for their groundbreaking ‘AgriSmartEye’—a rapid, reliable and cost-effective screening tool combining hyperspectral imaging technologies with deep learning artificial neural networks to analyze black pepper quality. Two years later, in 2023, Dr. Christine Yeo Wan Sieng and PhD student Eric Chua Yong Hong earned another Curtinnovation Award for ‘Pine Sense’, which utilizes advanced artificial intelligence technology to predict pineapple quality based on skin colors.
## Turning Point
From the record field of competitors, only 19 finalists emerged across all categories. The Curtin Malaysia team’s innovation distinguished itself through its potential to revolutionize sustainable bioprocessing on a global scale. Their breakthrough process successfully converts waste biomass into fermentable sugars, which then undergo microbial fermentation to produce high-purity lactic acid—a crucial ingredient in biodegradable plastics.
The judges recognized something extraordinary in this research. Beyond its technical excellence, the project addressed multiple environmental concerns simultaneously while creating economic opportunities from waste streams. Associate Professor Tan highlighted the transformative potential, explaining that the research “not only offers a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics but also creates a value-adding pathway for agricultural waste, supporting circular economy practices and Malaysia’s leadership in renewable bioprocess technologies.”
## Resolution
On October 1, 2025, Curtin University Malaysia claimed the prestigious Curtin Global Award at the Curtinnovation Awards ceremony. The victory represented far more than academic recognition—it validated years of dedicated research and positioned the university at the forefront of sustainable bioprocess technology. Professor Vincent Lee, Curtin Malaysia’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive, celebrated the achievement as prestigious recognition highlighting the dedication and creativity of their researchers.
“Curtin Malaysia has consistently proven its mettle at the Curtinnovation Awards over the years, and this latest win reinforces our role as a hub of world-class innovation,” he declared. The Curtinnovation Awards celebrate Curtin University’s commitment to transforming exceptional research into new products and services that benefit communities globally, showcasing research conducted across campuses in Australia, Malaysia, Dubai, Singapore, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka.
This groundbreaking achievement firmly establishes Curtin Malaysia’s growing reputation as a leader in sustainable technologies and applied research. As plastic pollution continues threatening our planet, innovations like these offer hope that scientific ingenuity can transform today’s waste streams into tomorrow’s sustainable solutions, proving that the most pressing environmental challenges often contain the seeds of their own resolution.
