Proton has wrapped up the Proton Business Case Study Challenge 2025, with Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) taking top honours at the grand finale in Putrajaya. Team WOLC from UUM beat 41 other teams from 25 public and private universities nationwide, walking away with RM8,000.
Launched in mid-Nov, the competition asked students to tackle a very real question facing the carmaker today: how Proton can manage Malaysia’s shift from internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric vehicles (EV) without losing ground in either space.
The brief reflected the pace of change in the automotive industry, while giving Proton a closer look at the next generation of local talent.
Team ANOVA from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) finished as first runner-up, earning RM5,000, followed by Team SAA UMK from Universiti Malaysia Kelantan with RM3,000. UNIMAS student Phibert Goh Jie Hao was named Best Individual Presenter and received RM1,000.
Finalists came from six regions across the country, with judging led by senior figures from Proton and the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii).
Beyond the prize money, the challenge also doubled as a recruitment platform. All 30 finalists received conditional offers under Proton’s Young Talents programme, giving the company a chance to see how students think, collaborate and solve real-world problems.
First launched in 2023 as a smaller collaboration, the Business Case Study Challenge has since grown into a national-level competition. It now forms part of Proton’s wider talent development efforts, which have brought hundreds of graduates into the company through rotations, mentoring and hands-on projects.
Through initiatives like this, Proton continues to build its talent pipeline while positioning itself as a place where young graduates can grow alongside Malaysia’s evolving automotive industry.