October 31, 2015

The Corporate Mother of Green Invention

The Corporate Mother of Green Invention

IRIS Corporation has mothered more than a few green inventions that are leading Malaysia towards the sustainable future it so badly needs. Photo Credit: Intel Free Pres via Flickr

Focused on finding sustainable solutions for the future, a global business and environmental solutions provider called IRIS Corporation Berhad is a world apart from many Malaysian businesses.

IRIS is a business is of significant influence in Malaysia.  Some achievements include pioneering the world’s first electronic passport in 1998 and introducing the Autopot system, a low-tech and super-efficient self-watering planter in 2006.  Now, it plays a big part in developing communities.  Many corporations can say the same for Malaysia, but the difference between IRIS and other large developers is that IRIS has a bigger focus on sustainability than others.  The following are some of IRIS’s biggest sustainable solutions to date.

The construction industry takes a heavy toll on environment through energy usage, waste creation and emissions.  Concrete, metal and other materials used to build conventional houses are hard to create, expensive to ship and costly to buy once turned into, say, a house.  IRIS has created a type of strong, lightweight panel used to build houses quickly and efficiently, which takes a huge weight off of the environment.  The system is called KOTO IBS, and it creates eco-friendly buildings that create homes efficiently and often provide otherwise homeless communities a place to live.  KOTO IBS has been used to create “smart communities” in Malaysia and Africa

On the environmental side, IRIS contributes heavily to the implementation and creation of renewable energy and waste management systems in Malaysia.  The company makes deals between communities, green technology companies and governments to set up what clever technologies are invented.  It has fathered three waste-to-energy plants in Southeast Asia and made other big-ticket investments, but one of its greatest contributions to environment has been a planter – yes, a planter – called the Autopot.

Autopots are special pots that automatically deliver water and fertilizers to food-bearing crops.  A gravity-operated valve automatically waters and feeds plants just the right amount, giving the kind of special attention to a plant and efficiency to resource use that a farmer working on multiple acres has neither the time nor tools to deliver.  Autopots prevent over- and under-feeding of crops, save on water wastage and require no special pumps or complicated timers.  Because the system is potted, it can also be used away from traditionally arable land.

IRIS also provides sustainable agriculture solutions.  The company joined forces with Koperasi Atlet Malaysia Berhad to develop Malaysia’s first and largest sustainable agro farm in Tanjung Tualang, about 200km northeast of Kuala Lumpur.  This farm produces high per-acre yield while saving lots of water through efficient irrigation, preventing pollution through soil contamination and conserving energy through clever but low-tech systems like the Autopot.

IRIS has since created a number of sustainable communities centered around farms, and continues to roll out inventions and investments that push for a sustainable Malaysia.  Through funding, research and implementation, IRIS is a powerful force in Malaysia’s fight for a green future.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.