CelcomDigi Trains 200 Students in AI for Junior Innovathon

CelcomDigi Berhad has provided artificial intelligence (AI) training to 200 primary and secondary school students from across Malaysia as part of its partnership with RTM Junior Innovathon 2026, a national competition aimed at encouraging innovation and technology skills among young Malaysians.

As the official telco partner for the competition, CelcomDigi organised customised AI workshops to introduce students to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

Participants also visited the CelcomDigi AI Experience Centre (AiX), where they were introduced to real-world applications of AI, 5G and other emerging technologies.

The workshops were designed to help students explore how technology can be applied to their innovation projects, particularly in developing practical solutions to everyday problems.

CelcomDigi’s Acting Chief Innovation Officer, Kugan Thirunavakarasu, said the company aims to encourage young Malaysians to explore technology beyond their everyday digital activities.

“Young Malaysians are growing up as digital natives. Our role is to create more opportunities for them to explore technology beyond everyday use, understand its possibilities and develop the confidence to create with it. The earlier we can spark that interest, the more opportunities we create to nurture the future-ready AI talent Malaysia will need.”

CelcomDigi is also introducing a Tech for Impact Award under Junior Innovathon 2026 to recognise student innovation projects that apply technology to solve problems or deliver practical benefits.

One primary school and one secondary school will receive the award. Each winning school will be given CelcomDigi Essential 5G Home WiFi with speeds of up to 100Mbps for two years.

The Essential 5G Home WiFi service provides unlimited 5G and 4G data through a wireless broadband router, with download speeds capped at 100Mbps. The commercial plan is currently advertised at RM89 per month after a RM10 promotional rebate from its RM99 monthly retail price.

CelcomDigi will also join the final judging panel for Junior Innovathon 2026 on 1 November.

Junior Innovathon is a national innovation competition organised by the Ministry of Economy in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).

The competition encourages primary and secondary school students to develop ideas and demonstrate practical solutions using science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

According to RTM, Junior Innovathon 2026 attracted more than 6,000 participants nationwide, exceeding its initial target of 3,000. A total of 2,092 team entries were received during the registration period from 14 June to 10 August 2026.

The competition’s second season also introduced a category for students with special educational needs, allowing them to participate in the national innovation programme.

Following the initial selection process, 50 teams comprising 25 primary school and 25 secondary school teams were selected for the regular semi-final rounds. Another 10 teams were selected under the special education category.

Junior Innovathon 2026 began broadcasting on RTM’s TV1 and RTMKlik in September, with the final scheduled for 1 November 2026.

CelcomDigi’s involvement builds on its existing AI Experience Centre, which was officially launched in July 2024.

The centre was developed with the support of 40 global technology and local ecosystem partners, offering demonstrations and practical applications involving AI, 5G, robotics, extended reality and other emerging technologies across different industries.

At its launch, the facility featured 45 technology solutions across eight industry sectors, including 13 live pilot projects involving Malaysian enterprises.

The Junior Innovathon collaboration also forms part of CelcomDigi’s wider CD:NXT digital talent development initiative, launched in August 2025 with an initial objective of equipping 5,000 young Malaysians with AI, data and emerging technology skills.

Earlier this month, on 2 October 2026, CelcomDigi announced an expansion of CD:NXT through three programmes, including campus@celcomdigi, which connects classroom education with workplace experience, alongside its Young Talent Programme and Certifications Programme.

While these programmes focus primarily on university students, graduates and professional development, the Junior Innovathon collaboration extends CelcomDigi’s technology education activities to younger students at primary and secondary school level.

The company said the collaboration is intended to give students early exposure to emerging technologies and encourage them to apply what they learn when developing their innovation ideas.