MPOB among top 20 local applicants for patents with high potential for commercialisation

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) climbed four notches to be ranked at 17th and emerged as among the top 20 patent applicants listed by the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) in 2020.

In 2019, it was at 21st spot with seven patents.

MPOB director-general Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir said the nine patents filed in 2020 had great potential for commercialisation.

"We only filed for patent breakthrough technologies with high potential for commercialisation," he said in a statement.

MPOB's nine patents filed in 2020 included a multipurpose vehicle for carrying out operations in plantations, an oil separation system in the mill, and compositions for defence from pathogen infection and its method, he said.

The others are method of bio-active peptides extraction from oil palm mesocarp, method for detecting adulterants in crude palm oil, composition and method of producing strand board, inhibition of cholinesterase by water-soluble palm fruit extract, corrosion inhibitor composition and method, as well as agricultural implement such as shaft and spike.

The multipurpose vehicle comprises a chassis, an engine to power the vehicle, a battery to power agricultural implements, an engine rectifier generator for charging the battery, and a hybrid system to incorporate one or more renewable energy source for charging the battery.

Other components include a continuous variable transmission, an adjustable belt tensioner for adjusting vehicle speed or torque, a transaxle for transmitting power, one or more wheels, and one or more agricultural implements.

MPOB's oil water separation system invention is suitable for separating water from oil. It comprises a vessel in which an emulsion of oil and water is allowed to separate into a relatively low density oil component and a relatively higher density aqueous component.

The formulation for defence from pathogen infection is a product for improving plant growth, comprising a substrate prepared based on oil palm wastes or oil palm milling by-products and fungi from Trichoderma genus.

According to Ahmad Parveez, the recognition from the MyIPO was a testament to MPOB's commitment towards continued innovation and breakthrough, being the nation's research and development agency for Malaysia's palm oil industry.

"Intellectual property plays a significant role in contributing towards Malaysia's continuous development, especially in the palm oil industry. MPOB strives to develop innovative and breakthrough technologies in food and non-food sectors," he added.

-- BERNAMA