Prof. Dato’ Ir. Dr. Abu Bakar is a mechanical engineer by profession, an environmental scientist by specialisation and a maritime expert by current pre-occupation. In 2023, he was honoured with the prestigious Pioneer Award by the World Renewable Energy Network at the 22nd World Renewable Energy Congress. 

He had served the Government of Malaysia for over 22 years in various capacities since 1973 and his career included stints as Factories and Machinery Inspector (1973-74), Staff Engineer of the US EPA Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory (1975-76), Principal Assistant Director (Water Quality), Environment Division, Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (1976-84), Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department (1984-85), DOE Director of Operations (1985-86), DOE Deputy Director-General (Planning) (1987-1989), and as the Director-General of the Department of Environment Malaysia (DOE) (1990-1995). After his optional retirement, he continued to serve the Government of Malaysia as the Elected- Member of UNCLOS Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (1997-2002) (2002- 2007) (207-2012), UN Headquarters, New York. 

He turned around a privatised company on environmental quality monitoring and data management, commercialised an industrial patent, pioneered the incubation of dehydration technology for tropical fruits and produce, provided consultancy services and advice on matters relating to waste management and extended continental shelf and working towards an eventual adoption of the promoted "Indifferent Consumers-pay" Principle as an enviro-economic policy instrument in solid waste management and techno-economic feasibility of ocean thermal energy potential in the Sabah, Malaysia.

Academic Qualifications

• Ph.D. in (Marine) Geography - University of Hawaii, United States of America

• Master of Environmental Science - Miami University, United States of America

• Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering - University of Newcastle, Australia

Prof. Dato’ Dr. Nor Aieni was the first woman to take the helm as Vice Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) from 2015 until 2021. Before that, she was the Director of the National Oceanography Directorate (NOD), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and was instrumental in establishing the National Ocean Policy, National Ocean Data Center (MyNODC) and National Institute of Oceanography. 

She is the leading domain expert in the field of Maritime and Coastal Engineering and contributes actively to industry collaborations and the empowerment of coastal communities towards societal well-being. She is currently involved in maritime management, climate change, coastal risk management, renewable energy, ocean policy and sustainable marine resources management.  

She is currently a Member of the Decade Advisory Board of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, for the Intergovernmental Oceanic Commission (IOC), UNESCO. She was a member of the Executive Council of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, 2nd Vice Chairman of the IOC for Western Pacific (IOC/WESTPAC) and the Scientific Advisory Group. She also anchored the National Secretariat for the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI). 

Academic Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Physics (Laser Technology) - University Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia

• Master of Science (Ionisation Physics) - Swansea University, United Kingdom

• Bachelor of Science (Physics) - Binghamton University, United States of America

Mr. Masamura Yamaji is an innovator, scientist and Mitsubishi's Chief Engineer with more than three decades of experience. In 2019, he received the prestigious IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Milestone Award.  He invented a method for generating electricity, compressed natural gas (CNG) and green hydrogen from waste. 

He is the current Chairman of Yamato International Pvt. Ltd., a Japanese eco-friendly company with cutting-edge technologies for totally solid waste management and treatment. It focuses on building long-term methods and products for environmental preservation that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on the world's primary solid waste (including plastic) issues. 

For many years, he held prominent positions in Japan, Asia, and the United States, where he contributed to the development of the industry as a system engineer, particularly in the fields of industry control systems and smart eyewear systems. He is notably advocating the "Waste to Wealth" endeavour by producing renewable energy generation equipment that will aid in the solution of the waste management problem, as waste management has become an ongoing challenge in our modern- day world. His ultimate goal is to improve the environment, agricultural productivity and the growth of numerous new industries.  

Yusof carries a two decades experience in the energy industry. His expertise lies in gas, LNG, and renewables, honed through roles at PETRONAS, from engineering to mega projects as well as corporate strategy and business development. As the energy landscape shifted, Yusof was among the pioneers in PETRONAS' Gas & New Energy Division, spearheading business growth across Asia and Australia. 

Now, at Tigasfera, he champions a game-changing solution: a modular, decentralized waste-to-energy solution. This innovation involves a practical and integrated approach towards waste-to-value, renewable energy, and decarbonization - the three spheres that Tigasfera tackles simultaneously. As Tigasfera scales up the solution, Yusof envisions its diverse applications, from bioenergy to decarbonization, catering to various industries and municipalities. This offers a path towards a more sustainable, circular economy, including in remote areas.

Academic Qualification

• Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Telecommunication) - University of Melbourne, Australia

Hj. Toslan is a veteran oil & gas engineer with over three decades of experience at PETRONAS, spanning diverse functions including R&D, plant operations across downstream, upstream, and international business, inspection, maintenance, projects, Operation Readiness Strategy and Assurance (ORSA), Group Technical Solutions (GTS), PETRONAS Fertilizer Kedah, PETRONAS Carigali Iraq and Turkmenistan and PETRONAS Research Sdn. Bhd. (PRSB).

His career began in the United States at El Paso Solar Pond in Texas and he subsequently worked as a Project Engineer at Bacchus Industries Incorporated in New Mexico. There, he pioneered the use of composite materials and polymeric heat exchangers in developing evaporative coolers. His career at PETRONAS has been diverse, with unparalleled expertise across various critical areas. He played a key role in R&D, ensuring innovative solutions, and oversaw plant operations in both downstream and upstream sectors. His leadership extended to leading inspection, maintenance, and project teams, driving operational excellence. He further contributed to the knowledge base of the organization through his involvement in the PETRONAS Centre of Excellence (CoE) Upstream and Group Technical Solutions (GTS). His final role at PETRONAS was General Manager for Asset Management Solutions (AMS) and Technical Delivery Excellence (TDEX), and he retired after 30 years. 

After retirement, he led renewable energy research, focused on solar, wind, thermal, and biomass, while offering expertise to build Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Readiness for the Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) project and started a collaborative project called "Integrated Circular Economy, Renewable Energy, and Sustainability (i-CERES)" to generate renewable energy, hydrogen, bio-coal, and carbon dots for a variety of applications.

Academic Qualifications

• Master of Science (Mechanical Engineering) - University of Texas, United States of America

• Bachelor of Science (Mechanical Engineering) - University of Texas, United States of America

Mr. Irfan is a business development professional with hands-on experience in commercialization. His primary attributes are business strategy and client service, and his notable roles include developing compelling proposals and demonstrations to showcase the company's services and products, as well as forging new partnerships with prospective firms to strengthen the company's industry presence. 

Before this, he secured a RM 50 million contract to supply lubricant to PETRONAS Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC) for five years, as well as receiving numerous projects from significant organisations such as PETRONAS Subsidiaries, Enquest Petroleum, Sapura Energy, Ping Petroleum, Prasarana Malaysia and other leading Oil and Gas companies. He also led Algaetech for the Automated Cultivation System (AIMSYS), a Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) project, by securing a RM 5 million grant for the AIMSYS System application employing a Carbon Dioxide cultivation system in partnership with SIRIM.

Academic Qualification

• Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) - Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Mr. Haziq is an engineer with hands-on experience in feasibility studies, process design and performance monitoring. His primary attributes are in the advancement of sustainable and efficient processes. During his tenure at PETRONAS Research Sdn. Bhd. he played a pivotal role in process technology in the development of a ground-breaking method for producing bio-derived Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG) from biomass, exemplifying dedication to green technology and innovation. He also was responsible for the construction of an integrated pilot plant for upscaling laboratory processes and its operational readiness evaluation. He assessed the operational preparedness of the pilot plant for start-up and commissioning, as well as conducted a scale-up study to validate the design of the pilot plant hydrogenation reactor. 

Before this, he worked as a Process Engineer at a subsidiary of KOSSAN Rubber Industries Berhad, where he drove debottlenecking projects and streamlining operations, resulting in significant cost savings as well as developing a culture of continuous improvement. He is a proactive troubleshooter who thrives in promoting operational excellence and consistently delivers favorable results, with a strong foundation in The Lean, Six Sigma, and Green Belt approaches.

Academic Qualification

• Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) - Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia

Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Shahrul specializes in waste recovery and his research interests are in waste management technologies, particularly anaerobic digestion, rapid composting free-tech and waste water treatment. His research focuses mainly on biogas production from waste water or other organic waste such as kitchen waste and sludge and among them is the highly attractive research on Nitrogen removal from aquaculture and industrial effluent using a novel Anaerobic Ammonia Oxidation (ANAMMOX) process. 

As an active researcher, he secured research grants worth nearly MYR 2 million comprising 18 research projects funded by KPM, KPT, SAT-ASEAN Fund, CRG, FRGS, KTAGS, TUDelft International Grant and Dana UCTC. He led 6 research grants, 10 as a co-researcher 2 of which were in collaboration with TUDelft and Prince of Songkla University, and these projects provided him a platform to form a research team consisting of 12 students (5 Ph.D, 7 M.Sc). He received awards in both research and academia which include two gold medals and one silver medal in Minggu Penyelidikan dan Inovasi & Renewable Energy 2019, two gold awards and one silver award in I2CreaTE 2019, Kuala Lumpur, two silver medals and three bronze medals in Minggu Penyelidikan dan Inovasi at TATI University 2020, one gold award and two silver award in Pi-Envex UniMap 2020 and special award (Creative Invention Award) in Pi-Envex UniMAP 2020. Throughout his career, he has published more than twenty journal publications and he is the Inviting Speaker for the Centre of Excellence in Intelligent Engineering Systems, KAU, Saudi Arabia. 

He is also the Chief Executive Officer of BioNexG Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. Through BioNexG Sdn. Bhd. he produced PURBACS (an acronym for Purple Bacteria) a Probiotic Bacteria (Bacillus) and Catalyst (a type of enzyme) which helps to enhance soil and plant growth, eliminate odor, maintain clean water and increase oxygen content by removing harmful waste. 

Academic Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering - Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands 

• Master of Engineering (Environmental Management) - Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia

• Bachelor of Technology (Environment) - Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

Ts. Dr. Zairi began his career with Panasonic Communications Malaysia as a Research and Development (R&D) Mechanical engineer. Later, he became a lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Pahang's Faculty of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering Technology.  He is currently the Head of Program, Mechanical Engineering Technology (Design & Analysis) and the Head of MAKERSLAB, Faculty of Mechanical & Automotive Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang.

He is a Professional Technologist registered with the Malaysia Board of Technologists (MBOT), a member of the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM), Science and Engineering Institute (SCIEI), and a certified Apple teacher. His research interests are in product design, wearables design,  industrial design and computer-aided design. He won several best presentation awards at several conferences held in Malaysia (2016), Japan and Thailand (2018), and London (2019). His work at Eindhoven University of Technology has been exhibited at the Dutch Design Week 2018 (Mind the Step exhibition) and the Dubai Design Week 2018 (Global Grad Show exhibition).  Throughout his career, he has published more than ten journal publications and delivered five conference proceedings. 

Academic Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Industrial and Product Design - Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands 

• Master of Science (Mechanical Engineering) - Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia

• Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Industrial) - Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia