KBIC award for manufacturing engineering design

The Kordin Business Incubation Centre (KBIC) has rewarded the best three projects in manufacturing engineering design submitted by University engineering undergraduates.

A modular case for cosmetic make-up powder, nicknamed Venus, was judged to be the winning entry. The project was submitted by Ann Tedesco Triccas, Nicholas Vella and Ian Refalo. A team that designed a gas cylinder loader/unloader placed second and a project for a domestic waste management system was awarded third place.

All projects submitted were judged by an independent panel that applied a set of criteria to establish the level of innovation in each project.

The winning teams were presented with funds for the purchase of academic-related tools including textbooks. All participants were also presented with a certificate of merit.

This scheme forms part of a module in Engineering Design administered jointly by Dr Ing. Jonathan C. Borg and Professor Robert Ghirlando. Students enrolling for this module are taught a number of systematic engineering design methodologies and technologies which they are requested to apply to seek solutions to a number of problems. The award scheme was spearheaded by Ing. Ray Muscat, KBIC's Manager and Dr Ing. Borg, head of the Department of Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Malta.

Addressing participants during the presentation at the Kordin Business Incubation Centre, Joe Zammit Tabona, chairman of KBIC's advisory board, congratulated all students and urged them to effectively utilise the professional design skills acquired to promote the generation of more innovative product solutions and entrepreneurship in Malta.

The University Rector, Professor Roger Ellul-Micallef, also attended the presentation and stressed the need for further collaboration between the University and the business industry. He welcomed this initiative as not only providing students with a useful experience but also as contributing to Malta's tangible drive towards a knowledge-based economy.

The Kordin Business Incubation Centre is a business development programme designed to assist entrepreneurs in developing their start-up ventures. The Centre welcomed its first tenants in November last year.