Gold for Team TideTurners at UAiTED Innovation Competition 2025

NTU School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Year 2 PhD student Koo Pooi Ling and her team TideTurners have won the Gold Award in the NextGen Innovator (Student Category) at the UAiTED Innovation Competition 2025 in Taipei, Taiwan.

Their winning idea, “Reeling in Pollution: Circular Fishing Net from Bio-Based Materials,” introduces biodegradable fishing nets made from fish-scale-derived chitosan and collagen, coated with bio-based materials. These nets are designed to last for a defined period in seawater before naturally degrading, reducing ghost nets and tackling marine plastic pollution.

The team includes students across Asia: Koo Pooi Ling (NTU, CEE), Quek El Lynn (NTU, Asian School of the Environment), Jun Lu Zhang (National University of Singapore), and Fadl Sadiq Darwis (National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan).

Reflecting on the experience, Koo shared: “A team can never be built by just one person. Everyone has their strengths, and when they come together, it’s powerful. We thought together, learned together, and grew together — that’s what made our win possible.” 

Despite only meeting in person two days before the finals, the team clicked instantly and worked intensively to secure their win.

The UAiTED Innovation Competition highlights cross-regional collaboration, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and real-world impact, with student solutions addressing global challenges in sustainability, circular economy, and green urban development.