The Proton Neutron Electron team from Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) has won the PROTON Business Case Study Challenge (PBCSC) 2026.

Organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT), the competition challenged university students to develop strategies to make electric vehicles (EVs) the preferred first car for Generation Z.

Record participation

This year’s competition attracted a record 56 teams from public and private universities nationwide, a 33% increase over last year.

Of these, 18 teams advanced to the finals.

The main winners were:

• Champion: Proton Neutron Electron, APU — RM10,000.
• Runner-up: Team Malaya Tigerz, Universiti Malaya — RM8,000.
• Third place: Team Emas 3, Monash University Malaysia — RM5,000.
• Best Individual Presenter: Topaz Lim Jing Tai, APU — RM1,000.

The PBCSC Influencer Award was also introduced for the first time, recognising three winners for their creativity and efforts to promote the competition through digital platforms.

Exposing students to industry challenges

Each team comprised three final-year students, with each university allowed to field a maximum of two teams.

Participants were required to apply their academic knowledge to develop practical solutions to real-world business challenges.

Now in its fourth year, PBCSC has grown from a collaboration with the Association of Malaysian Students in Beijing (AMSIB) in 2023 into a national university competition in 2024.

PRO-NET continued its involvement for the second consecutive year, supporting the competition’s EV theme.

The competition also serves as a platform for PROTON to identify emerging talent while preparing students for the workplace.

PROTON’s broader talent development initiatives include engine donations to educational institutions, collaboration with Institut PROTON on TVET job placements, and the Proton Young Talent programme, which involves approximately 350 graduates.