Collaboration is at the core of the iRECYCLE-Malaysia project and we were delighted that team members from Queen’s University Belfast, University of Malaya and Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS were able to get together for a full day of in-person meetings, presentations and discussions on Tuesday 17th December 2025. Getting together allowed us to tackle technical challenges, share progress updates, and map out the next milestones for our research across our six work packages.
Of course, no team day is complete without some cultural exchange—we wrapped up the session with a fantastic batik painting workshop with the Teja Studio!
On Wednesday 18th December 2025, we hosted a landmark symposium on e-waste recycling and critical metal recovery. With Malaysia’s e-waste generation projected to reach 1.4 million tonnes by 2030, this symposium offered a unique opportunity to explore innovative solutions, forge strategic partnerships, and shape the future of sustainable resource recovery in Southeast Asia. It was certainly a packed agenda, including:
✅ An overview of the iRECYCLE-Malaysia project from Principal Investigator, Professor Peter Nockemann
✅ A keynote address from Emeritus Prof. Nik Meriam Nik Sulaiman, in which she shared more about the importance of partnerships to transform Malaysia’s e-waste into opportunities
✅ Welcome and introductions from Robin Andrews, Invest Northern Ireland – Asia Pacific and Muru Loganathan, the British High Commission (UK in Malaysia)
✅ Industry flash talks from Dr Shanmuga Suntharam (Cenviro Group), Dr. Chrisminder Dain, PhD (PETRONAS) and Jonathan Colville (Wrightbus)
✅ A panel discussion with Professor Peter Nockemann, Professor Mark Palmer, Emeritus Professor Nik Meriam Nik Sulaiman, Dr. Chrisminder Dain, PhD. and Mr Mohd Norsuradi Man, which focused on how we can leverage international partnerships, develop sustainable supply chains, and address policy and workforce needs to advance critical-metal recovery from e-waste in Malaysia
Thank you to all those who joined us for the symposium, to those who shared during the session and to those who helped make it happen.
Get in touch!
If you’d like to find out more or be kept in the loop with other iRECYCLE-Malaysia events:
Visit our LinkedIn page!
Email us at rachael.thomas@qub.ac.uk!
iRECYCLE-Malaysia is funded by the UKRI Ayrton Fund Challenge Programme, which promotes equitable partnerships between UK and in-country researchers to ensure projects are locally relevant and impactful.