One agri-biotech company stood out at the recent 5th Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference (HIC) in Malaysia. This event took place recently at MRANTI Park, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The conference theme was “Unlocking Frontier Agricultural Technology towards Food Security and Sustainability” and consisted of four main sessions with distinct focuses aimed to provide a platform for researchers, industry players, and startups to showcase their ideas, technologies, and product developments related to agri-biotechnology in Malaysia. Qarbotech Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian deep tech startup, has demonstrated its position as a formidable player in a field of exceptional industry players and startups.
During one of the panel sessions, Mr. Razwan Zakaria, the Chief Product Officer of Aerodyne Group, talked about a paddy field pilot project at Sungai Besar, Selangor conducted by both Aerodyne and Qarbotech. He emphasized the outstanding performance of Qarbogrow Photosynthesis Enhancer by Qarbotech, which recorded a remarkable 60% increase in crop yield!
Mr. Razwan Zakaria (second from the left), the Chief Product Officer of Aerodyne Group, talked about a paddy field pilot project at Sungai Besar, Selangor conducted by both Aerodyne and Qarbotech.
Malaysia is still striving to achieve its goal of producing 75% of its rice requirements domestically as outlined in the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021-2025), as it presently produces only 65% of its self-sufficiency rate as reported by the Department of Statistics Malaysia in 2022. The outcomes of the collaborative pilot project conducted by Aerodyne and Qarbotech strongly indicate that Qarbotech’s Photosynthesis Enhancer technology may have the potential to enhance rice production, thereby spearheading Malaysia in achieving its intended rice self-sufficiency rate.
Mr Chor Chee Hoe, the CEO of Qarbotech, shared about the latest data and validation of the company’s technology and its potential benefits.
During the Startup Tech Splash session at the HIC event, Mr Chor Chee Hoe, the CEO of Qarbotech, shared about the latest data and validation of the company’s technology and its potential benefits. He explained that photosynthesis – the process of converting carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and carbohydrates – is inefficient, utilizing only 4% of light. However, Qarbotech’s nanotechnology can increase the photosynthesis rate of plants by up to 100%, resulting in exceptional increase in crop yield and plant growth rate. Mr Chor Chee Hoe also noted that Qarbogrow Photosynthesis Enhancer, a product by Qarbotech, has been found to make fruits sweeter and vegetables richer in various vitamins. Besides that, Photosynthesis Enhancer is not a fertilizer – it works alongside fertilizers and has proven to assist in optimizing fertilizer usage.
Furthermore, Qarbotech’s Chief Scientist Dr Suraya Abdul Rashid, invented a green, sustainable, scalable and economical way of producing carbon quantum dots (CQD) from agrowaste biochar. Although CQD has many applications, its biocompatibility and excellent performance as a photocatalyst, has opened up a new niche area of CQD as a photosynthesis enhancer for plants. Hence, the potential of Qarbotech’s Photosynthesis Enhancers is huge in helping agropreneurs, urban farmers, and municipalities in agriculture and city maintenance to reduce carbon dioxide in the air.
Chee Hoe shared how the development of photosynthesis enhancer from agriwaste biochar is a breakthrough in the agri-biotech industry as well as sets a prime example of how technology and innovation can be used to contribute to circular bioeconomy in Malaysia.
During the “Cultivating Sustainable Energy from Bioresources” panel discussion,
Mr Mitsuru Izumo, the President and CEO of Euglena Co Ltd, a leading technology company in Japan, shared about the ecosystems in Japan for cultivating sustainable energy using bioresources. As one of the panelists, Mr Chee Hoe also shared how the development of photosynthesis enhancer from agriwaste biochar is a breakthrough in the agri-biotech industry as well as sets a prime example of how technology and innovation can be used to contribute to circular bioeconomy in Malaysia. Chee Hoe also shared that Qarbotech is opened to collaborate with other corporate partners who are interested in driving the sustainability agenda forward.
Qarbotech’s impressive technological breakthroughs have made it stand out in a highly competitive industry. Its nanotechnology has far-reaching implications, particularly for accelerating the transition to a circular bioeconomy that addresses issues of food security and climate change. With plenty of potential for collaboration and innovative applications, the future is bright for Qarbotech and its efforts to improve Malaysia’s agricultural industry. We eagerly await the developments to come and the positive impact they will have on our country.
