In an effort to increase quality participation from universities, Shell Eco-marathon Asia (SEMA) returns for next year’s competition with the launch of Shell Eco-marathon Access (SEM Access) programme.
SEMA, which was kicked off in Malaysia in 2010, is an energy efficiency competition programme where varsity students are challenged to design, build and test their energy-efficient cars on track.
The introduction of SEM Access will help build an ecosystem that brings together the government, academia and industry partners to support students with innovative capabilities and talents towards developing sustainable and cleaner energy solutions.
It will also provide an avenue for the students to garner investment and guidance for their participation in SEMA through collaborations with corporations and industry partners.
The programme was launched by Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Dr Ong Kian Ming and witnessed by Shell Malaysia chairman Datuk Iain Lo, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Mechanical Engineering Faculty dean Professor Dr Muhammad Azmi Ayub and Motosport Association of Malaysia president Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir.
Ong said: “SEMA challenges our bright Malaysian students to leverage on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to not just compete against the best teams in the region but to also showcase our country’s talent pipeline to the world.
“The SEM Access ecosystem provides a platform for students to display their innovations and energy solutions for a better tomorrow,”
Lo said the collaboration through SEM Access will hone talents in energy-efficient vehicles while driving the vision of sustainable mobility.
“The competition provides an excellent learning experience for the students in addition to what they have learnt in universities.
“From what I have observed throughout the journey, Malaysian universities are capable of developing competitive prototype and urban concept cars,”
He added that another milestone for SEM Access is the collaboration between Shell Malaysia and UiTM to introduce Shell Eco-marathon as a pilot capstone project in the university.
Azmi added that capstone project is a multifaceted assignment that serves academic and intellectual experience for students typically towards the end of their academic programme.
Being involved in SEMA requires students to build a functioning vehicle by putting theory into practice, he said.
“Students’ participation in SEMA is only considered as their extracurricular activity even though they have put a lot of effort and time to develop their energy efficient vehicle,” said Azmi.
“Starting next year, it is agreed by UiTM and Shell Malaysia that this competition is a perfect example for a credible capstone project which will award academic credits to students who take on this challenge. It will be integrated in their formal academic engineering curriculum.”
A team from Universiti Malaysia Perlis was among 13 teams who have registered for SEMA 2020.
As a first-time contender, team manager Suriah Varathan Rajan said the team was not at a disadvantage.
“We have joined other innovation and engineering competitions before. I believe my team is confident enough to take up the SEMA challenge,” said Suriah.
“Our team will compete in the Urban Concept category with hydrogen as its main fuel source. We also seek guidance and tips from seasoned teams, like the one from UiTM, which has joined this competition since its inception.”
Students will participate in a pitch session joined by a panel of business executives, who will decide on the teams they want to collaborate with based on their presentations.
The corporations and universities then form a partnership that provides the student teams with the needed support that would enable them to represent the partners at SEMA next year.
Besides the pitching session, four workshops will be conducted by experts from now till SEMA 2020 in June next year for students to upskill and prepare themselves in their pursuit towards building the most energy efficient vehicles.
SEMA is organised by Shell with the support from the International Trade and Industry Ministry and the Education Ministry’s Higher Education Department.