By UOW Malaysia 

Innovation knows no borders, and UOW Malaysia’s (UOWM) research excellence has once again made waves on both international and national stages in 2025.

Representing the university at the 10^th International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (iCAN 2025), Ts. Dr Mohd Ikram bin Ramli and his team clinched the Gold Medal Award for their groundbreaking invention, SeismoLite: Simplified and Economical Seismic Sensor for Field Applications. iCAN 2025, organised by the Toronto International Society of Innovation & Advanced Skills (TISIAS) and supported by the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA), the World Invention Intellectual Property Associations (WIIPA), and Innovation Initiative Co-operative Inc., brought together more than 600 participants from over 80 countries. The Finals & iCAN Awards event, held online on 30 August 2025, celebrated creativity, technology, and practical solutions to global challenges.

SeismoLite — a collaborative project between UOWM and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) — is designed to make seismic and vibration monitoring more accessible, affordable, and efficient. The portable sensor simplifies data collection for researchers and industry users alike. The research team comprised Wong Zhe Anne (UOWM), Chua Huang Shen (UOWM), Ts. Dr Mohd Ikram bin Ramli (UOWM), Dr Mohd Khairul Afzan bin Mohd Lazi (UTM), and Muhamad Zulhasif bin Mokhtar (UTM).

UOWM continued its winning streak at the iDrive25 – 2nd International Development, Research and Innovation Exhibition, held on 8–9 October 2025 at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) in Johor. At this national-level exhibition, UOWM won 3 Gold Awards for its inventive projects, all led by Dr. Ikram:

SeismoLite – portable, cost-effective seismic sensor for vibration monitoring

Alcho Lamp – a sustainable bioluminescent lighting solution for coastal communities

WattWalk – an energy-harvesting technology that generates electricity through human motion

These projects demonstrate UOWM’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and sustainability-driven research, with key contributions from Ts. Dr Goh Thing Thing, Dr Khairul Azlan bin A. Rahman, Ir. Permesh Lal Jethi A/L Amrick Lall, and Chua Huang Shen. Recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and officiated by UTHM Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato’ Dr Ruzairi bin Abdul Rahim, iDrive25 highlighted Malaysia’s growing innovation ecosystem.

For Dr Ikram and his teams, the accolades are more than medals—they are a testament to Malaysia’s ability to contribute to global and regional technological advancement. Through pioneering projects like SeismoLite, Alcho Lamp, and WattWalk, UOWM continues to illuminate the path for future inventors, bridging academia, industry, and society along the way.