Brunei's Local News - Brudirect.com

Bandar Seri Begawan - The biennial competition for Creative, Innovative Product and Technological Advancement or CIPTA competition will see 18 individuals and teams battling it out in next year's competition.

The 18 individuals and teams are among the lucky ones out of 31 submitted entries for the CIPTA 2009 competition. A technical briefing was held to inform them about the proper guidelines for the final report presentation, the judging criteria and to discuss the progress of their projects and other important related matters to the competition.

The briefing took place yesterday at the ITB conference hall and was delivered by Dr Haji Khairul bin Masri, the Co-Chairperson of the Technical Committee of the CIPTA 2009. The successful contestants have to submit the final report of their project to the Technical Committee by February 2, 2009, which among others contains the objective and description of their project.

After the submission of their final report, the competitors have to present and demonstrate their project in front of the judges on February 25 and 26, 2009. The competitors would compete in two categories: Category 1 (eight competitors) and Category 2 (10 competitors).

Category 1 covers the creation of new products, processes or technology and its usefulness to the society and environment. The contestants would be judged based on the originality and creativity of their project. The project's potential for commercial application and contribution to the development of the society as well as the possibility of utilising the project in the design and manufacture of end product are also taken into account in the evaluation criteria.

Meanwhile, Category 2 covers the modification of existing product, process or technology, which can improve its function or quality. In this category, the competitors would be judged based on the creativity and the level of improvement of the project over the other alternatives. The workability and acceptability to potential users, and its economic feasibility as well as the potential for commercial application and contribution to the development of the society are also under the evaluation criteria.

It is through these categories that the competitors would be expected to highlight their area of specialty and their innovative mettle. The competition carries the prestigious Crown Prince's CIPTA award. The overall winner of the competition will be entitled to a cash prize of $10,000 and a trophy.

The award is recognition for the outstanding project that has the potential to be developed commercially, to provide the solution to an existing problem in the society as well as to bring major benefit to the national development.

The competitors also stand the chance to win a cash prize of $6,000 for grabbing the first place in each category. A cash prize of $4,000 would be given to the second place winner in each category while cash prize of $2,000 for the third place winner in each category.

The CIPTA 2009 is organised by Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) in partnership with Brunei Liquefied Natural Gas and is co-sponsored. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin