1. Introduction

The Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference Malaysia 2025 (HIC Malaysia 2025) was held on 22 November 2025 at the Pro-Chancellor Hall of Universiti Selangor (UNISEL), Shah Alam. The conference theme—“Elevating Quality of Life: Innovations at the Nexus of Environment, Food and Health”—aligns strongly with Euglena’s mission to advance sustainability, biotechnology, and solutions for global well-being.

The event brought together researchers, corporate partners, government agencies, and innovators to address national priorities related to food security, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic resilience. Euglena Co., Ltd. participated in the conference to share our research on utilizing oil palm biomass as a sustainable sugar source for heterotrophic microalgae cultivation, and to explore collaborations within Malaysia’s rapidly growing bioeconomy ecosystem.

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2. Overview of the Conference

2.1 Event Structure and Participants

HIC Malaysia 2025 featured a full-day program including keynote lectures, panel discussions, MoU ceremonies, poster sessions, and technology showcases. According to the official event schedule, activities included sessions on renewable energy, green transition technologies, disaster resilience, and sustainable water resource management.

Target participants included researchers, academicians, startups, corporates, and government agencies, reflecting the highly interdisciplinary nature of the conference.

2.2 Key Themes of the Conference

The event emphasized innovations that integrate:

• Environmental Quality
• Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
• Human Health and Longevity
• Mechatronics and Smart Technology

These themes resonate strongly with Euglena’s work in microalgal biotechnology and sustainability science.

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3. Euglena’s Research Presentation

Euglena Malaysia presented the study “Feasibility of Using Oil Palm Biomass as a Sugar Source for Microalgae Cultivation.”

3.1 Background and Objectives

Palm oil–producing countries generate large volumes of agricultural waste, including oil palm fronds (OPF) and oil palm trunks (OPT). Our objective was to explore their potential use as fermentable sugar sources for heterotrophic microalgae cultivation, an approach that could support both biomass production and biofuel feedstock development.

3.2 Key Findings

• Oil palm frond (OPF) and trunk (OPT) biomass contain significant amounts of glucose and other fermentable sugars after saccharification, enabling their use as non-edible carbon sources for microalgal growth.
• The study demonstrated that microalgae cultivated with molasses or biomass-derived sugars show comparable growth trends to commercially available glucose, though optimization is required to refine carbon utilization efficiency.
• Integration of palm biomass waste management with microalgae cultivation can promote circular bioeconomy practices, reduce biomass disposal challenges, and produce valuable downstream products such as lipids for biofuel.

3.3 Future Directions

Euglena aims to advance:

• Development of an integrated machine for biomass juicing and sugar concentration
• Genome engineering of microalgae strains for better utilization of lignocellulosic sugars
• Large-scale feasibility testing in Malaysia in collaboration with local universities and industry partners

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4. Significance for Malaysia and Global Bioeconomy

Malaysia’s strong focus on sustainable agriculture, waste valorization, and renewable energy provides an ideal ecosystem for expanding microalgae-based biomanufacturing. Our research directly contributes to:

• Food and nutritional security through microalgal protein and functional ingredients
• Environmental sustainability via waste biomass utilization
• Low-carbon transitions through next-generation biofuel feedstock technologies

These directions align closely with the conference’s objective to catalyze collaborations across sectors to improve environmental and social resilience.
(Conference purpose as stated in booklet: )

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5. Networking and Collaboration Opportunities

Throughout the event, Euglena engaged with various stakeholders including:

• University researchers involved in biomass, fermentation, and algal biotechnology
• Government agency representatives working on national food security and green technology initiatives
• Industry partners interested in waste-to-resource projects, sustainable materials, and biofuel production

Several potential collaboration directions were identified, such as:

• Joint R&D on biorefinery processes using palm biomass
• Pilot-scale cultivation and downstream processing studies in Malaysia
• Integration with national food and environmental security programs

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6. Conclusion

Participation in Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference Malaysia 2025 provided Euglena with an invaluable platform to introduce our biomass-based microalgae cultivation technology and to engage with Malaysia’s growing community of researchers and innovators. Our contribution supports the broader mission of creating sustainable and circular solutions that improve quality of life, environmental resilience, and future food systems.

We look forward to deepening our collaboration with Malaysian partners and contributing further to regional and global bioeconomy development.