USM TEAM EARNS PLACE IN ASIA PACIFIC GEO FINALE WITH TRIGRID INNOVATION

SUBANG JAYA, 12 November 2026 - A team from Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Engineering Campus (KKTSS) has secured a place in the Asia Pacific Geo Finale of the AAKRUTI Innovation Competition 2026 after emerging as one of Malaysia’s top two teams.

The Unlimited 4G team will represent Malaysia at the regional finale scheduled for early December. A successful outing there would see the team advance to the Grand Finale in the United States in February 2027.

Organised by SolidWorks 3DEXPERIENCE through IME Technology Sdn. Bhd., the competition provides an international platform for engineering-based product design and innovation.

At the national final, held following a competition that began in April, two USM teams secured places among Malaysia’s Top 10 finalists, highlighting the university’s students’ ability to develop innovative design solutions to address community needs.

The Unlimited 4G team presented “TriGrid”, a multi-stage drainage protection system developed under the theme “Local Community Problems”. The design incorporates Computer-Aided Design (CAD) technology and elements of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The team comprises Kam Shin Yen, Lou Yi Xuan and Tang Xin Jie from the School of Mechanical Engineering, and Tan Qien Qien from the School of Chemical Engineering. They are mentored by Associate Professor Dr Mohd Salman Abu Mansor from the School of Mechanical Engineering.

Another USM team, Rekasari Apex, also secured a place among the national Top 10 finalists with its innovation, “KINE-MOLD”, a mechanical pressing machine designed to compress banana leaves into food containers.

The team consists of Mior Ahmad Zaim bin Mior Ahmad Nizam, Farhan Syauqi bin Muhammad Zain, Ahmad Faris bin Mohd Nizam and Muhammad Iman bin Muhammad Izwan. The team is also mentored by Associate Professor Dr Mohd Salman Abu Mansor.

The achievements of both teams reflect USM students’ ability to apply engineering and design knowledge to develop practical innovations that address community needs while taking sustainability into account.

Text: Associate Professor Dr. Mohd Salman Abu Mansor

Photos: Unlimited 4G , SOLIDWORKS Malaysia - IME Authorized Reseller and Rekasari Apex teams / Muhammad Zul Hafiz Zuraidi and Muhammad Ahnaf Alias