IEEE Global Agriculture Robotics Challenge
a commendable initiative aimed at addressing the specific agricultural needs in South East Asia, particularly in the oil palm plantation industry in Malaysia.
This project brings together various communities within the IEEE network and beyond to collaborate and innovate in the field of agriculture robotics. In terms of pilot participation the focus is on Malaysia, South East Asia countries, and China. This geographical scope aligns with the regional needs and the specific challenges faced in the oil palm plantation industry.
Overall, the IEEE Global Agriculture Robotics Challenge is poised to drive innovation, collaboration, and
investment in the field of agriculture robotics, addressing critical agricultural challenges while promoting
sustainability and food security in South East Asia and beyond
Key Communities
This community comprises the agricultural businesses in the oil palm plantation industry. Their role is to define their specific needs and requirements for agriculture robotics. By participating in this community, they can increase their chances of successful adoption of robotics technology in agriculture, which can lead to higher productivity and yield. They also have the advantage of being early adopters of agriculture robotics, positioning themselves at the forefront of technological advancements.
Venture capitalists and equity providers form the funders community. Their primary objective is to identify promising early-stage entrepreneurs and technology projects within the agriculture robotics domain. By participating, they gain access to potential investment opportunities and can contribute to the growth of innovative solutions in agriculture. This community reduces the risk associated with seed funding by connecting with startups involved in the challenge
This community consists of technology owners, startup founders, and researchers from R&D institutions and universities. Their role is to develop and provide robotics solutions that address the needs of the oil palm plantation industry. Joining this community allows them to validate the readiness of their technology for deployment in real-world agricultural settings. Additionally, they can explore commercialization opportunities for their inventions, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
IEEE volunteers, including committee members, university representatives, and student chapters, play a vital role in facilitating and organizing the challenge. Their motivation comes from the exposure and networking opportunities provided by the collaboration among the four communities. They get to experience IEEE's brand in entrepreneurship and witness robotics products and solutions that have reached Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) of 6 and above.
Connecting Tech Entrepreneurs to an Engineering Driven Global Innovation Network
2023 Steering Committee
Voting Members
Joanne Wong, Chair
Joanne is General Partner of REDDS Capital, a Californian based VC firm investing in global early-stage IT startups. She has worked with IBM, HP, SAP, and Cisco in multiple technical, market development, and strategic investments positions. She is a mentor/advisor for multiple startups. Joanne was Executive Director of a health charity startup, The Supercomputer for Cancer Research, providing free green high performance computational resources for cancer researchers.
Ken Stauffer, Immediate Past Chair
Ken Stauffer, a telecommunications industry veteran, began his career at AT&T Bell Laboratories. He worked in Data Services Performance, International Operations, and Global Network Management Center. After leaving AT&T in 2000, he founded EPIK Communications, a $460M start-up in Florida. He designed EPIK's advanced services strategy, created the Product Innovation Group and EPIK Labs, and served as Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief Technology Officer. In 2003, he formed Technology Assurance Labs, providing consulting, design, and testing services to venture capital groups, network equipment manufacturers, and service providers. He also founded Cypress Equipment, a product sales company, and developed RFID and IoT products for the rail and propane industries. Ken is a Life Senior Member of IEEE and co-founded the IEEE Entrepreneurship Initiative .
Andra Keay, Vice Chair - Partnerships
Andra is an experienced robotics, AI and deep-tech investor and startup advisor, the founder of Robot Launch, global startup competition, cofounder of Women in Robotics and Robot Garden makerspace. She is also the Managing Director of Silicon Valley Robotics, an industry group supporting innovation and commercialization of robotics technologies.
Andy Chen, Member-At-Large
Andy Chen is a global consulting firm's President and CEO, with a focus on utility industry consulting. He has held positions as Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Enterprise Strategy and Architecture for the largest Canadian-based electricity generator. Andy is also the President of the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society (TEMS) and a member of the IEEE Computer Society Board of Governors. IEEE is a global community that inspires innovation through its publications, conferences, and technology standards. Andy is a member of the United Nations Global Pulse's Data Privacy Advisory Group, the Federation of Enterprise Architecture Professional Organizations' board, and the Technical Advisory Council for the FinTech Ideas Festival. He has been a keynote speaker at various conferences and is currently a Member-At-Large on the 2023 IEEE Entrepreneurship Steering Committee.
Mohamed El Dallal, Vice-Chair - Programs
Earning his BSc degree in computer and communication Engineering-, MBA holder specializing in International Business, a researcher in the digital marketing field. Currently doing his DBA specializing in Entrepreneurship. Mohamed has conducted hundreds of Talks/ Panels /workshops at 30+ countries about his Entrepreneurship, Marketing & business development.
Susana Lau, Vice Chair - Products
Susana Lau is a seasoned IT consultant with over a decade of experience, focusing on agile software development, e-commerce, and entrepreneurship. She is the president of the IEEE Panama Section and volunteers at IEEE Women in Engineering. Lau is an advocate for women in STEM and entrepreneurship, mentoring educational events and supporting universities. She co-founded Fundación CREEA and is a board member of a company in the insurance and banking industry. She holds a Master of Science degree in Information Technology from Carnegie Mellon University.
Rawan El Jamal, Member-At-Large
Strategy consultant, technology and entrepreneurship enthusiast, avid volunteer, and a curious computer engineer at heart. Rawan built her career in consulting with BCG Dubai, and immersed into diverse practices such as media, education and economic development. Assisted CEOs and government officials drive decision making and new projects with her problem solving and data analytics skills.
Team Leads
Ishkandar Baharin, Southeast Asia Region Team Lead
Dr Ishkandar Baharin is the current President & Founding Member of the Malaysia Robotics and Automation Society (MyRAS) and the Executive Chairman to the TechCapital Group of Companies focusing on building Robotics and IR4.0 industrial solutions to the Malaysian industries. He is also the Founding Member and Vice President of the Global Robotics Cluster (GRC), a global robotics association cluster consisting of 25 member countries based in South Korea, the Founding Member and Vice President of International Alliance of Robotics Associations (IARA) consisting of 12 member countries based in Hangzhou, China. He was actively involved in building the National Robotics Roadmap (NRR2030) for the Government of Malaysia through the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI).
Colin Brenan, Healthtech Core Team Lead
Serial entrepreneur and senior executive with 30 years experience in scientific research, project management, product development, strategic marketing and financing of early-stage life science companies.
Author of 50+ peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and reports advancing the science and technology of confocal microscopy, hyper spectral imaging, microsurgical robotics and bio-microsystems and inventor on 24 US & foreign patents and 20+ pending patent applications..
Samar Hamdy, Women Entrepreneurs Core Team Co-Lead
Samar Hamdy, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer at DevisionX, aims to enable technologies for a better world by building AI-Vision Solutions for manufacturing experts. The company is working on a No-Code Platform that automates Machine Learning, democratizing AI in the manufacturing sector. Hamdy has experience in business development, marketing, and managing technology and innovation. She has been a part of the IEEE Community in Egypt, establishing an IEEE student branch and volunteering for IEEE activities. She is also a mentor for the enpact – Tourism Recovery Programme and has participated in the Workforce Egypt Project, preparing Egyptian students for skilled jobs in the private sector.
Gena Lindsay-Bourne, Women Entrepreneurs Core Team Co-Lead
Gena Lindsay-Bourne is a seasoned founder and operator with a strong background in analytics and business. She is currently Principal at Neuvation Ventures and Head of Research European Women in Venture Capital. She has experience in quantitative analysis and has coached founders on fundraising, growth strategy, financial modeling, and securing non-diluted and VC capital. With an MBA and MA in Economics, she has worked at Journey Venture Partners and is the 2022-2023 Women Entrepreneurs Core Team Co-Lead on the 2023 IEEE Entrepreneurship Steering Committee.
Shaoshan Liu, China Region Team Lead CEO and Co-Founder
Dr. Liu Holds a Ph.D. and a B.S. in computer engineering, both from University of California, Irvine. He is the lead author of the book Creating Autonomous Vehicle Systems, which is the first technical overview in autonomous driving. He has over 40 publications and over 100 patents in distributed computing as well as autonomous driving systems
Chintan Oza, India Region Team Lead Founder
With over 23 years of experience in the telecom and technology sectors, Chintan is a passionate and visionary leader who thrives on enabling global entrepreneurship and innovation. As the Chief Advisor for India Startup Ecosystem at Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC), he helps bridge the gap between entrepreneurs from India and Ontario's investors, industry associations, and government.
Omar Zahr, Tech Transfer Core Team Lead
Omar Zahr, Director of Technology at TandemLaunch, serves as the interface between the company and its global network of universities and researchers, helping aspiring founders converge on their ventures. He chairs the iMatSci Innovator's Showcase at the Materials Research Society, connecting founders of materials science startups with industry and investors. Zahr previously worked as a materials scientist researching viruses for electronic and optical components, and is currently the 2022-2023 Tech Transfer Core Team Lead on the 2023 IEEE Entrepreneurship Steering Committee.
Alan Renaudin, Manufacturing Resources Core Team Lead
Alan is a business development director at the outstanding infrastructure C2MI, Strategic partnership and Marketing and IEEE Entrepreneurship manufacturing resources lead. Previously involved in the Photonic business as an entrepreneur and passionate about driving a market driven industry into a new era of innovation, he focuses on the development of a world-class collaborative deep tech ecosystem, involving international industrial, governmental, and academic players.
Asia Pacific Team
Andy Chen, Asia-Pacific Region Team Lead
Andy Chen is a global consulting firm's President and CEO, with a focus on utility industry consulting. He has held positions as Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Enterprise Strategy and Architecture for the largest Canadian-based electricity generator. Andy is also the President of the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society (TEMS) and a member of the IEEE Computer Society Board of Governors. IEEE is a global community that inspires innovation through its publications, conferences, and technology standards. Andy is a member of the United Nations Global Pulse's Data Privacy Advisory Group, the Federation of Enterprise Architecture Professional Organizations' board, and the Technical Advisory Council for the FinTech Ideas Festival. He has been a keynote speaker at various conferences and is currently a Member-At-Large on the 2023 IEEE Entrepreneurship Steering Committee.
Ishkandar Baharin, Southeast Asia Region Team Lead
Dr Ishkandar Baharin is the current President & Founding Member of the Malaysia Robotics and Automation Society (MyRAS) and the Executive Chairman to the TechCapital Group of Companies focusing on building Robotics and IR4.0 industrial solutions to the Malaysian industries. He is also the Founding Member and Vice President of the Global Robotics Cluster (GRC), a global robotics association cluster consisting of 25 member countries based in South Korea, the Founding Member and Vice President of International Alliance of Robotics Associations (IARA) consisting of 12 member countries based in Hangzhou, China. He was actively involved in building the National Robotics Roadmap (NRR2030) for the Government of Malaysia through the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI).
Shaoshan Liu, China Region Team Lead
Dr. Liu Holds a Ph.D. and a B.S. in computer engineering, both from University of California, Irvine. He is the lead author of the book Creating Autonomous Vehicle Systems, which is the first technical overview in autonomous driving. He has over 40 publications and over 100 patents in distributed computing as well as autonomous driving systems
Chintan Oza, India Region Team Lead
With over 23 years of experience in the telecom and technology sectors, Chintan is a passionate and visionary leader who thrives on enabling global entrepreneurship and innovation. As the Chief Advisor for India Startup Ecosystem at Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC), he helps bridge the gap between entrepreneurs from India and Ontario's investors, industry associations, and government.
IEEE Entrepreneurship Community Chart
Preparing Malaysia for Tomorrow
Malaysian Robotics Market worth USD 88.46 Million in 2022
Low-skilled foreign workers increased from 34% in 2010 to 45% in 2019
Robot density in 2019: 55 units per 10,000 employees
Malaysian Wellbeing Index (MyWI) 121.0 in 2019
Labour productivity growth hovering around 1.8% compound to 3.6% average of developed countries
VS
Regional robotics hub in Agriculture, Manufacturing & Services
Projected Robot density in 2030: 195 units per 10,000 employees
Malaysia Robotics Market projected to reach compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 17.50% by 2027 (USD 237.61 Million)
15% limit cap of total workforce for foreign workers
3.6% annual labour productivity growth per annum (Percentage improvement - 45% Services, 55% Agriculture & 30% Manufacturing)
Malaysian Wellbeing Index (MyWI) 136.5%
Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
Technology Readiness Level (TRL) is a numerical scale used to assess the maturity and readiness of innovative technologies. It ranges from TRL 1 (conceptual stage) to TRL 9 (fully matured and operational). At lower TRLs, technologies are in the early development phase, often existing as theoretical concepts.
As they progress up the scale, they undergo testing and validation in increasingly realistic environments. TRL assessments are crucial for decision-making in research, development, and investment. They help organizations determine whether a technology is viable and ready for further investment and deployment. TRLs provide a common language for stakeholders to communicate the readiness of a technology, enabling more informed resource allocation and development strategies.
MyRAS's Technology Readiness Level
6. Technology Demonstrated in Relevant Environment
As one of the leading innovators in terms of spearheading Malaysia's growth in the robotics and engineering sector, we at MyRAS are proud to showcase that we have achieved the 6th level in the TRL hierarchy and are more than halfway towards reaching our goal of proving an actual system in a working environment.
