Malaysia’s UTP partners with PH industry leaders on halal tech, energy security

The collaboration between Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and industry leaders in the Philippines holds the promise of significant advancements in halal technology and energy security, said Malaysia’s Ambassador the Philippines Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino recently.

In his welcome remarks at the UTP-Philippine Industry Partners Roundtable on February 12, the ambassador said UTP’s technical expertise, particularly in halal technology, is a valuable resource in enhancing the quality and standards of products in the burgeoning Philippine halal industry.

“With UTP’s technical know-how in halal technology, I am confident that its collaboration with industry partners in the Philippines would further buttress the efforts of the Philippine government to have a robust halal ecosystem,” he said.

The global halal market is projected to reach a staggering USD 7.7 trillion by 2025, up from USD 3.2 trillion in 2015.

In this light, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has set ambitious targets for the next five years, aiming to attract PHP 230 billion (approximately USD 4 billion) in investments, create 120,000 jobs, and achieve a 20% increase in halal exports of products and services.

UTP’s contributions to energy security are also a critical point of collaboration.

As the Philippines seeks to diversify its energy mix, particularly in renewable energy, UTP is well-positioned to offer insights on harnessing the country’s vast natural resources.

The ambassador said, “It is my hope that through this roundtable, UTP will be able to share insights on how the Philippines could take advantage of its vast natural resources to boost the generation of renewable energy, and eventually achieve energy security.”

The Philippines possesses substantial renewable energy potential, with significant resources in geothermal, wind, solar, hydropower, and biomass. Geographically situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire, the country has considerable geothermal potential, estimated at over 4,000 MW.

In 2022, renewable energy accounted for 22.8% of the Philippines’ energy mix. The government has set ambitious targets to increase this share to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040. VCU