Masjid tanah: Participants of the National TVET Innovation Competition (PERISA '26) have been urged to register copyrights or patents for their inventions to protect intellectual property and strengthen the competitiveness of local innovations. Deputy Higher Education Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim emphasized the importance of this step, highlighting that it ensures every idea and innovation receives proper protection and opens opportunities for commercialization through industry collaboration.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Adam Adli stressed the need to maintain a high level of awareness regarding patents. He explained that once an idea is developed, the next step is to patent it to secure it as the innovator's intellectual property. He clarified that patenting an innovation does not restrict its use but preserves its value and competitiveness. Adam Adli made these remarks while speaking to reporters after closing the national-level PERISA '26 at Masjid Tanah Community College (KKMT).
Also present at the event were Polytechnic and Community College Education Department (POLYCC) director-general Dr. Shamsuri Abdullah and POLYCC Deputy director-general (Planning) Ulaimi Yahya. Adam Adli expressed hopes that the PERISA '26 competition, themed 'Agentic AI in Innovation', would catalyze the development of AI-based innovations, aligning with national efforts to empower the technology. He noted that the competition demonstrated participants' growing understanding of AI applications in solving real-world issues, like a rail passenger density monitoring system with potential for industry development.
He encouraged participants to continue protecting their innovations through intellectual property registration and foster industry collaboration to open commercialization opportunities, ultimately benefiting society. The three-day PERISA '26 programme featured 118 innovation projects across five main categories: Engineering Technology, Information Technology, Social Sciences, Commerce and Hospitality, and Students.
The competition serves as a strategic platform to drive Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) transformation by cultivating innovation, creativity, and generating high-impact solutions that meet industry requirements and support the national development agenda. The event also witnessed the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between KKMT and Prasarana Malaysia Berhad, alongside a Letter of Intent (LoI) with ERL E-MAS.
This strategic collaboration focuses on competency development, expertise sharing, and strengthening industry networking within TVET technology and skills. It broadens collaboration opportunities, adding value to both educators and students.