The International Innovation Awards (IIA) 2024 confers InnoCube to 51 outstanding innovations

As technology advances at an unprecedented pace with AI at the forefront of it, a crucial question emerges: How can humans and AI coexist harmoniously while upholding principles of integrity and ethics?

Themed ‘Fostering Integrity in Business Innovation’, the 8^th International Innovation Awards (IIA) aimed to answer this crucial question. Held at W Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Nov. 29, 2024, the event honored 51 groundbreaking innovations, inspiring a future where innovation and ethics go hand-in-hand.

Since 2017, Enterprise Asia’s Innovation Revolution movement has been driving innovation across the region. The International Innovation Awards (IIA), a key pillar of this movement, recognizes outstanding innovations, and in the process, encourages organizations to continue investing in innovation. This year’s event brought together innovators from various countries across the globe.

The IIA 2024 began with a riveting welcome address from Enterprise Asia’s Vice-Chairman, Datuk William Ng. “Innovation without integrity risks eroding trust, while integrity without innovation risks stagnation. But when paired together, they have the power to create meaningful, sustainable advancements that benefit not just businesses but society as a whole,” he said, highlighting the significance of integrating ethics and accountability when innovating to shape a better future for all.

The awards program garnered submissions from a global pool of participants, hailing from over 19 countries and markets such as China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam, just to name a few. A rigorous selection process, involving a distinguished panel of judges, narrowed down over 200 applications across three categories: Product, Service & Solution, and Organization & Culture.

Organizations recognized with the coveted ‘InnoCube’ award in the Product Category include Sinox Company Ltd. from Taiwan for its Sinox Locking Kickstand, an intelligent e-bike security solution; One Venture Co., Ltd. from Thailand for the Happy Noz: Organic Runny Nose Relief Patch; and Dow, Inc. from China for Dowsil™ 650+ Protective Peelable Coating.

Winners under the Service & Solution category consist of corporations such as DEWA from the United Arab Emirates for its Albunya Alraqameya Enterprise Architecture initiative; the United Kingdom’s PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited) for PwC’s Next Generation Audit Data Capabilities: Acquisition Hub And Data Pro; and Ace Edulink Co., Ltd. from Taiwan for the ACE Teaching Plus app, which allows teachers to deliver lessons seamlessly and efficiently on one shared app.

Winners under the Organization & Culture category include Thai Smile Bus Co., Ltd. from Thailand with its ‘We Can Make The World Better Together’ initiative, which ensures a customer-centric approach; Taiwan’s Far Eastern Big City Shopping Malls Co., Ltd. and its ‘Big City: Art and Health Culture Hub’; and AIA Bhd.’s ‘Agility Unleashed: Transforming Culture at Scale in AIA Malaysia’.

A pre-event to the awards ceremony, the International Innovation Summit (IIS) 2024 took place earlier in the day. Themed ‘Humanizing AI in Business’, the summit explored how AI can be harnessed to create more meaningful, human-centered business practices. The Secretary General of the Ministry of Digital Malaysia, YBhg. Fabian Bigar, kicked off the summit with a thought-provoking keynote address on how AI can improve customer experiences and promote responsible business practices. He also announced the establishment of the National AI Office (NAIO) by the Government of Malaysia, set to launch in December 2024. The NAIO will develop AI policy, foster AI innovation, and drive research into next-generation AI technologies.

Other speakers at the summit included Jakkris Tangkuampien, Corporate Innovation Coach of Ekipa Consultancy; Datuk (Dr.) Nora Manaf, Former Group Chief Human Capital Officer of Maybank; Makoto Shibata, Head of FINOLAB and Chief Community Officer; and Dr. Maria Singson, IBM’s Vice-President of APAC Technology & Customer Success.

Supporting partners of the International Innovation Summit (IIS) and International Innovation Awards (IIA) 2024 are the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia; CCI France Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce; Malaysian Alliance of Corporate Directors; Myanmar Business Executives Association; Malaysian-Thai Chamber of Commerce; National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Small and Medium Enterprises Association; Singapore-Thai Chamber of Commerce; and Strategic Public Relations Group. Media Partners include Bangkok Post; BusinessWorld; Commercial Times; Dailywire.asia; Hong Kong Economic Times; and SME Magazine. Lastly, Unilever Malaysia was the Door Gift Sponsor.

FULL RECIPIENT LIST OF THE INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION AWARDS (IIA) 2024

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