| Ishan Ibrahim |
A LICENSING agreement for an ‘Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Fungal Photocatalytic Smart Coating’ technology was signed between Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and Smart Coating Technologies (B) Sdn Bhd yesterday.
The licence signing is the first such agreement for one of UBD’s patented technologies.
Among the applications of the technology include usage in specialised coatings to protect building surfaces from bacteria and mold – a common problem in Brunei Darussalam.
The signing took place at the Integrated Sciences Building of UBD, and was attended by guest of honour Datin Dr Hajah Anita Binurul Zahrina binti Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abdul Aziz, the Vice-Chancellor of UBD; Professor Dr David Koh Soo Quee, Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Innovation and Enterprise) of UBD; Okochi Hiroshi, Managing Director of Smart Coating Technologies (B) Sdn Bhd; and senior officers from related industries.
The product is envisioned to be able to significantly reduce the annual maintenance costs of buildings, and has the potential to be exported to other locations with a similar climate to Brunei.
Signing the agreement at the event were Professor Dr David Koh; Okochi Hiroshi; Nur Fazrini binti Matjalina, Director of Smart Coating Technologies (B) Sdn Bhd; and Dayangku Dr Nurolaini binti Pengiran Haji Muhd Kifli, Deputy Director of Innovation and Enterprise at UBD.
Witnessing the signing was the Vice-Chancellor of UBD.
Professor Dr David Koh said in his opening speech that the signing marked an important milestone for UBD, and is the result of a university-industry collaboration between UBD and Pixela of Japan.
He added that the collaboration was made possible under the Brunei Research Incentive Scheme (BRISc), which started back in 2014.
Professor Dr David Koh explained that the project involved at least five researchers from UBD and six postgraduate students under their supervision. Their work led to the development of three patents, with yesterday’s signing involving one of the three patented technologies.
Okochi Hiroshi, in his address, said the firm was established in 2015 as a homegrown spin-off of a research and development (R&D) project from 2014 to 2016 carried out by UBD together with Pixela Corporation from Japan and the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB), under funding from the BRISc.
Smart Coating Technologies has featured one of its revolutionary products in the Made-in-Brunei Market Fair and the China-ASEAN Expo, drawing considerable interest from both government and private companies. The company has international sales agents based in Japan and Thailand.
Its founders and directors include Nur Fazrini, Okochi Hiroshi, Toru Kitamura, Haji Mohammad Redza bin Haji Hussin, Nursyahidah Husna binti Haji Tarip and Kaori Mitchley.
“Our company aims to provide protective coating technologies for building infrastructures to prolong their lifespans and to ensure the sustainability of building materials to reduce maintenance costs,” Hiroshi said.
“Since 2015, Smart Coating Technologies (B) Sdn Bhd has built international relationships and collaborations with companies from Japan, Thailand and Myanmar, and we are soon planning to venture into Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and other ASEAN member countries.”
He added that the licensing agreement will allow Smart Coating Technologies to manufacture, market and export high-quality, made-in-Brunei protective coating products such as the ‘Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Fungal Photocatalytic Coating’ product involved in the signing.
Speaking on the agreement with Smart Coating Technologies, UBD Vice-Chancellor said, “Today’s signing marks an important milestone for UBD as this is the first successful technology transfer from UBD’s research work into commercialisation. We are proud to license it to a UBD spin-off company, whose directors include two of our own students.”
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