At 16 years old, Sethu Raaj Munusamy was first introduced to composite engineering in a high school class in Malaysia.&nbsp;Sethu, a WSU (Winona State University) 2010 alum, was fascinated by idea of taking a plastic and a fiber, mixing them together, and creating something so much stronger than any other material.

“This sounds like the future,” Sethu said as he reminisced.

When Sethu told his father — a lecturer and professor with university ties — about his desire to study composite materials, he was met with enthusiasm and soon after was enrolled at Winona State University through the American Degree Transfer Program. He moved overseas and started his pursuit in Composite Materials Engineering.&nbsp;They were the only school in America that offered this program as an Undergraduate program. 

The knowledge Sethu gained there didn’t satisfy his thirst. Then he enrolled at North Dakota State University to learn about Bio-based Composites, where they use natural-based fibres and resins from bio-based sources such as plants. Sethu instantly fell in deeper love with Composite Materials, especially the sustainable and eco-friendly types.

Upon graduation, Sethu took up a job as a Project Manager at Sintex-Wausaukee Composites where he had the privilege of working on multiple projects for Fortune 500 Original Equipment Manufacturers. The experience of working with Caterpillar, John Deere, Siemens, Oshkosh Truck, General Electric, and many other notable clients in the Heavy Construction, Mass Transportation, Military, Agricultural and Medical industries gave me greater insight into the usage of composites in the global market.

 After ten years of being abroad and receiving an H1-B visa, Sethu traveled back to Malaysia made the decision to stay near his family and embark on his entrepreneurial journey that was always his destiny. Sethu created his own startup business, Compositecniq, and with his sophisticated understanding of composites he partnered with SKSBUS, the largest bus manufacturing company in Malaysia.

Like many other industries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the bus industry fell rapidly. With several devastating government shutdowns threatening his chances to get his fledgling startup off the ground, Sethu needed to pivot his business.

In March of 2020, Sethu created his second start up called Midwest Composites.

Midwest Composites was established with the aim to revolutionize and pioneer the new movement of composites within the country and ultimately globally. They believe in creating world-class products that are stronger, lighter, more durable and most importantly, environmentally sustainable.

Initially when the company was incorporated, it was in the midst of the worst period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hence, traction and consistent business was few and far between. Therefore, Sethu then applied and was subsequently accepted into the Global Accelerator Program which is funded by the Malaysian Global Innovation &amp; Creativity, which is a branch of the Ministry of Science and Technology. The program was a great opportunity for us to learn from some of the best people in the startup ecosystem and to get visibility. 

Shortly after that, Midwest Composites was invited and accepted into the ScaleUp Malaysia program where he met some of his mentors that have helped him with the skills he was lacking as an engineer pivoting into the startup ecosystem. It was during this program that Midwest Composites had successfully raised it's pre-seed funding of $100K USD from Indelible Ventures. The pre-seed funding helped establish some new hires and allowed for the continued research &amp; development (R&amp;D) to progress successfully.

As for traction, Midwest Composites had successfully developed further partnerships with a drone building company, a military tank provider, and several small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Furthermore, Midwest Composites and the National University of Singapore (NUS) had collaborated on their Formula SAE car build. In addition to that, they had also completed a project building spoilers for a motorsport team in the FIA Formula 4 South East Asia.&nbsp;

Most recently, Midwest Composites was accepted into the PETRONAS FutureTech 3.0 program which they hope will bring them a step closer to fulfilling their vision and objectives.&nbsp;

"We have ambitious goals of becoming the Premier Advanced Composites Company in the Region and then Globally. My experience in the Global Composites Market plus my extensive network of contacts in the USA and India will give us an edge in this growing and exciting industry poised to take over the world. We have a 5-year plan of building sustainable bio-based composites for every manufacturer out there that need our materials in their products. Our most ambitious plan is to be a premier bio-based manufacturer for the space industry." Sethu Raaj Munusamy.

For customers who are interested in utilizing Advance Composites or Biobased composites to their highest potential in their industrial need, we are "Your Engineered Composites Partner".

<h1>Sustainably Engineered BioComposites for Mass Transit, Automotive & Aerospace</h1>Midwest Composites is a local Malaysian engineering firm that manufactures sustainably engineered advanced composites and BioComposites, more specifically plant-based natural fibers sourced locally from plants such as hemp, kenaf, flax and jute for the green mobility industries. <h2>Early Doors</h2>At 16 years old, Sethu Raaj Munusamy was first introduced to composite engineering in a high school class in Malaysia.&nbsp;Sethu, a WSU (Winona State University) 2010 alum, was fascinated by idea of taking a plastic and a fiber, mixing them together, and creating something so much stronger than any other material.“This sounds like the future,” Sethu said as he reminisced.When Sethu told his father — a lecturer and professor with university ties — about his desire to study composite materials, he was met with enthusiasm and soon after was enrolled at Winona State University through the American Degree Transfer Program. He moved overseas and started his pursuit in Composite Materials Engineering.&nbsp;They were the only school in America that offered this program as an Undergraduate program. The knowledge Sethu gained there didn’t satisfy his thirst. Then he enrolled at North Dakota State University to learn about Bio-based Composites, where they use natural-based fibres and resins from bio-based sources such as plants. Sethu instantly fell in deeper love with Composite Materials, especially the sustainable and eco-friendly types.Upon graduation, Sethu took up a job as a Project Manager at Sintex-Wausaukee Composites where he had the privilege of working on multiple projects for Fortune 500 Original Equipment Manufacturers. The experience of working with Caterpillar, John Deere, Siemens, Oshkosh Truck, General Electric, and many other notable clients in the Heavy Construction, Mass Transportation, Military, Agricultural and Medical industries gave me greater insight into the usage of composites in the global market.<img style="max-width:100%;height:auto;" src="https://vritimes-public.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/production/cc20ed9b732ba62a45986a3c862900e926ae33c2cc1c9064fa332088d37459c6/IMG-20161018-WA0016.webp" alt="Sethu and his team working on a project for his first startup"/> After ten years of being abroad and receiving an H1-B visa, Sethu traveled back to Malaysia made the decision to stay near his family and embark on his entrepreneurial journey that was always his destiny. Sethu created his own startup business, Compositecniq, and with his sophisticated understanding of composites he partnered with SKSBUS, the largest bus manufacturing company in Malaysia.Like many other industries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the bus industry fell rapidly. With several devastating government shutdowns threatening his chances to get his fledgling startup off the ground, Sethu needed to pivot his business.In March of 2020, Sethu created his second start up called Midwest Composites.<img style="max-width:100%;height:auto;" src="https://vritimes-public.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/production/bd55317d8a7ebb52bb116d28f60b0932ebd9ccb219f0d0b85d0f3cb31f45dfe8/Logo%20Midwest%20Black%20Background.png" alt="Midwest Composites Logo"/><h2>Greener Beginnings</h2>Midwest Composites was established with the aim to revolutionize and pioneer the new movement of composites within the country and ultimately globally. They believe in creating world-class products that are stronger, lighter, more durable and most importantly, environmentally sustainable.Initially when the company was incorporated, it was in the midst of the worst period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hence, traction and consistent business was few and far between. Therefore, Sethu then applied and was subsequently accepted into the Global Accelerator Program which is funded by the Malaysian Global Innovation &amp; Creativity, which is a branch of the Ministry of Science and Technology. The program was a great opportunity for us to learn from some of the best people in the startup ecosystem and to get visibility. Shortly after that, Midwest Composites was invited and accepted into the ScaleUp Malaysia program where he met some of his mentors that have helped him with the skills he was lacking as an engineer pivoting into the startup ecosystem. It was during this program that Midwest Composites had successfully raised it's pre-seed funding of $100K USD from Indelible Ventures. The pre-seed funding helped establish some new hires and allowed for the continued research &amp; development (R&amp;D) to progress successfully.<img style="max-width:100%;height:auto;" src="https://vritimes-public.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/production/b1132ad188a32a811e2b5f1b2d57c4ee6aff5255141f67ce46bfbd2ee414cd6c/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-06-13%20at%2009.14.06%20%282%29.jpeg" alt="Natural Fiber BioComposites Bus Engine Cover"/>As for traction, Midwest Composites had successfully developed further partnerships with a drone building company, a military tank provider, and several small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Furthermore, Midwest Composites and the National University of Singapore (NUS) had collaborated on their Formula SAE car build. In addition to that, they had also completed a project building spoilers for a motorsport team in the FIA Formula 4 South East Asia.&nbsp;<img style="max-width:100%;height:auto;" src="https://vritimes-public.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/production/61c3de61953a7d082e8faed0c238627559037d58a7861c78eef2c8aafd42ce63/natural%20fiber%20drone%201.jpeg" alt="Natural Fiber BioComposites UAV Body"/>Most recently, Midwest Composites was accepted into the PETRONAS FutureTech 3.0 program which they hope will bring them a step closer to fulfilling their vision and objectives.&nbsp;"We have ambitious goals of becoming the Premier Advanced Composites Company in the Region and then Globally. My experience in the Global Composites Market plus my extensive network of contacts in the USA and India will give us an edge in this growing and exciting industry poised to take over the world. We have a 5-year plan of building sustainable bio-based composites for every manufacturer out there that need our materials in their products. Our most ambitious plan is to be a premier bio-based manufacturer for the space industry." Sethu Raaj Munusamy.For customers who are interested in utilizing Advance Composites or Biobased composites to their highest potential in their industrial need, we are "Your Engineered Composites Partner".Midwest Composites Sdn Bhd was established in early 2020 by Sethu Raaj Munusamy in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The company specializes in manufacturing advanced composites and natural fiber BioComposites for the green mobility industries which consists of automotive, mass transit and aersopace. The purpose of using natural fiber BioComposites is to reduce the amount of non-degradable & synthetic fibers used as well as offering customers an alternative to traditional materials which is light, strong & most importantly environmentally sustainable. Sunil Raaj
sunilraaj@midwestcomposites.com.my
www.midwestcomposites.com.my

Environment / SGDs / Recycling

Automotive / Automotive Supplies

Airlines / Aviation

Green technology

Startups

Midwest Composites is a local Malaysian engineering firm that manufactures sustainably engineered advanced composites and BioComposites, more specifically plant-based natural fibers sourced locally from plants such as hemp, kenaf, flax and jute for the green mobility industries. 

Sustainably Engineered BioComposites for Mass Transit, Automotive & Aerospace

KUALA LUMPUR (May 15):&nbsp;Malaysian multinational low-cost airline AirAsia has launched three new routes from Kuala Lumpur to southern&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;cities, namely Quanzhou, Guilin and Chengdu (Tianfu).

New services to Quanzhou and Guilin will be operated by AirAsia Malaysia, while AirAsia X Malaysia will operate the Tianfu&nbsp;route, it said in a statement on Monday (May 15).

Flights to and from Quanzhou will recommence twice weekly,&nbsp;and to/from Guilin thrice weekly, both effective from June&nbsp;18, 2023.

Flights to/from&nbsp;Tianfu&nbsp;will start twice weekly on July&nbsp;1, 2023, and be increased to thrice weekly from July&nbsp;4, 2023, it said.

The new routes would be part of&nbsp;the network of 15 routes, with over 129 flights weekly between China and Malaysia.&nbsp;

“Following the recent opening of China to the world and strong pent-up demand, as well as our rapid expansion there, we are proud to connect millions of guests not only to major destinations, but also to underserved second-tier cities, and launch unique routes such as Quanzhou and Guilin.

“China remains a key market for our future growth, and we will continue to review a number of other potential Chinese routes&nbsp;we hope to be in a position to announce soon,” said AirAsia chief executive officer Riad Asmat.

On the same note, AirAsia X Malaysia chief executive officer&nbsp;Benyamin Ismail said&nbsp;China had always&nbsp;been one of its&nbsp;core destinations for medium-haul air travel.

“Our newest route to Tianfu&nbsp;serves as the foundation for more AirAsia X flights to China in the near future, which will significantly boost our North Asian network.

“As China is rapidly bouncing back, we expect to launch even more flights to and from the country, as well as to increase the frequency on the most popular and profitable routes within our network in the short to medium term,” he added.

To celebrate&nbsp;the launch of the new routes, it&nbsp;is offering a 20%&nbsp;discount on all seats on all flights across its 130 destinations, including all flights to and from China.

The promotion is available for booking from now until May 20, 2023&nbsp;for the travel period between&nbsp;June 1 and Dec&nbsp;14, 2023,&nbsp;it added.

<h1>AirAsia commences three routes to southern Chinese cities</h1>KUALA LUMPUR (May 15):&nbsp;Malaysian multinational low-cost airline AirAsia has launched three new routes from Kuala Lumpur to southern&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;cities, namely Quanzhou, Guilin and Chengdu (Tianfu).New services to Quanzhou and Guilin will be operated by AirAsia Malaysia, while AirAsia X Malaysia will operate the Tianfu&nbsp;route, it said in a statement on Monday (May 15).Flights to and from Quanzhou will recommence twice weekly,&nbsp;and to/from Guilin thrice weekly, both effective from June&nbsp;18, 2023.Flights to/from&nbsp;Tianfu&nbsp;will start twice weekly on July&nbsp;1, 2023, and be increased to thrice weekly from July&nbsp;4, 2023, it said.The new routes would be part of&nbsp;the network of 15 routes, with over 129 flights weekly between China and Malaysia.&nbsp;“Following the recent opening of China to the world and strong pent-up demand, as well as our rapid expansion there, we are proud to connect millions of guests not only to major destinations, but also to underserved second-tier cities, and launch unique routes such as Quanzhou and Guilin.“China remains a key market for our future growth, and we will continue to review a number of other potential Chinese routes&nbsp;we hope to be in a position to announce soon,” said AirAsia chief executive officer Riad Asmat.On the same note, AirAsia X Malaysia chief executive officer&nbsp;Benyamin Ismail said&nbsp;China had always&nbsp;been one of its&nbsp;core destinations for medium-haul air travel.“Our newest route to Tianfu&nbsp;serves as the foundation for more AirAsia X flights to China in the near future, which will significantly boost our North Asian network.“As China is rapidly bouncing back, we expect to launch even more flights to and from the country, as well as to increase the frequency on the most popular and profitable routes within our network in the short to medium term,” he added.To celebrate&nbsp;the launch of the new routes, it&nbsp;is offering a 20%&nbsp;discount on all seats on all flights across its 130 destinations, including all flights to and from China.The promotion is available for booking from now until May 20, 2023&nbsp;for the travel period between&nbsp;June 1 and Dec&nbsp;14, 2023,&nbsp;it added.

Travel / Sightseeing

AirAsia commences three routes to southern Chinese cities

SEPANG: The aerotrain replacement programme at the main terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is underway, with one rail line expected to be up and running by June 2024, said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thestar.com.my/business/marketwatch/stocks/?qcounter=AIRPORT" target="_blank">Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd</a><a href="http://charts.thestar.com.my/?s=AIRPORT" target="_blank"></a>&nbsp;(MAHB) managing director Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood.

He said the progress of the aerotrain operations had been suspended until further notice since March this year.

Prior to the suspension, the 25-year-old aerotrain service received much backlash over frequent breakdowns.

"All efforts are being made meticulously to avoid future inconvenience,” he told a press conference after the launch of STARDesk and EZBagz, a new initiative at KLIA by MAHB chairman Tan Sri Zainun Ali, here today.

Last year, it was reported that the aerotrain replacement programme was expected to be completed in 2025, involving nine aerotrains worth some RM700 million to be implemented in two phases involving design and construction works.

Iskandar Mizal said they had contracted the jobs for the replacement programme to international and local parties.

"Hopefully, by the middle of next year, we will have at least one rail line,” he said.

Meanwhile, Zainun said the launch of STARDesk and EZBagz was part of the airport’s digital transformation, as it is firmly believed that digital solution is critical to increasing its efficiency.

Through STARdesk, KLIA will be able to validate and address passenger feedback within 15 minutes. The newly-formed customer experience team now works around the clock to ensure response times are met and resolutions are undertaken as soon as possible.

Passengers can download the STARDesk app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, which also features flight schedules, wayfinding and food and beverage offerings at the airport.

EZBagz, meanwhile, enables passengers to check in their baggage faster and more efficiently, with each bag taking only 45 seconds to process.

Zainun said six new units of the EZBagz kiosk have been installed at KLIA to provide more convenience to passengers checking in their baggage, located at the Malaysia Airlines (MH) domestic check-in counter. - Bernama

<h1>Aerotrain replacement underway, one rail line on track to operate next year - MAHB</h1>SEPANG: The aerotrain replacement programme at the main terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is underway, with one rail line expected to be up and running by June 2024, said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thestar.com.my/business/marketwatch/stocks/?qcounter=AIRPORT" target="_blank">Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd</a><a href="http://charts.thestar.com.my/?s=AIRPORT" target="_blank"></a>&nbsp;(MAHB) managing director Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood.He said the progress of the aerotrain operations had been suspended until further notice since March this year.Prior to the suspension, the 25-year-old aerotrain service received much backlash over frequent breakdowns."All efforts are being made meticulously to avoid future inconvenience,” he told a press conference after the launch of STARDesk and EZBagz, a new initiative at KLIA by MAHB chairman Tan Sri Zainun Ali, here today.Last year, it was reported that the aerotrain replacement programme was expected to be completed in 2025, involving nine aerotrains worth some RM700 million to be implemented in two phases involving design and construction works.Iskandar Mizal said they had contracted the jobs for the replacement programme to international and local parties."Hopefully, by the middle of next year, we will have at least one rail line,” he said.Meanwhile, Zainun said the launch of STARDesk and EZBagz was part of the airport’s digital transformation, as it is firmly believed that digital solution is critical to increasing its efficiency.Through STARdesk, KLIA will be able to validate and address passenger feedback within 15 minutes. The newly-formed customer experience team now works around the clock to ensure response times are met and resolutions are undertaken as soon as possible.Passengers can download the STARDesk app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, which also features flight schedules, wayfinding and food and beverage offerings at the airport.EZBagz, meanwhile, enables passengers to check in their baggage faster and more efficiently, with each bag taking only 45 seconds to process.Zainun said six new units of the EZBagz kiosk have been installed at KLIA to provide more convenience to passengers checking in their baggage, located at the Malaysia Airlines (MH) domestic check-in counter. - Bernama

Aerotrain replacement underway, one rail line on track to operate next year - MAHB

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) is introducing MHPlus, Malaysia Airlines' new distribution capability (NDC) platform, to enhance communication capabilities and enable closer cooperation between MAG’s airlines and its trade partners.

Managing director Izham Ismail said the introduction of MHPlus and the airline’s NDC seller user interface, MHAgentPlus, is aimed at providing personalisation and enhancing communication capabilities for its travel agents, partners and customers alike.

"(It is a) crucial milestone in becoming Asia’s leading travel and aviation services group, as we continue to embrace new technologies to provide our stakeholders with more curated offerings to fit their needs,” he said in a statement today.

Under phase one of the NDC implementation, Southeast Asia’s leading travel platform Traveloka and business travel agency Traveloka and Holiday Tours &amp; Travel are partnering with Malaysia Airlines to enjoy greater access to air content and rich content, direct marketing promotions with travel agents and partners, personalised product offerings and promotions tailored based on varying customer profiles.

"We are pleased to launch this pilot phase together with our partners as it marks an important step forward in our NDC journey to enhance the user and traveller experience,” Izham said.

NDC is a travel industry-supported programme by the International Air Transport Association that allows airlines to modernise the way products are retailed to travel agents and travellers with curated services and enhanced product offerings, therefore improving the overall customer experience.

MAG said MHPlus, which aims to embed a streamlined transmission process across the travel industry distribution chain, is targeted to go live in the second half of 2023.

<h1>MAG launches NDC platform to enhance communication, cooperation with trade partners</h1>KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) is introducing MHPlus, Malaysia Airlines' new distribution capability (NDC) platform, to enhance communication capabilities and enable closer cooperation between MAG’s airlines and its trade partners.Managing director Izham Ismail said the introduction of MHPlus and the airline’s NDC seller user interface, MHAgentPlus, is aimed at providing personalisation and enhancing communication capabilities for its travel agents, partners and customers alike."(It is a) crucial milestone in becoming Asia’s leading travel and aviation services group, as we continue to embrace new technologies to provide our stakeholders with more curated offerings to fit their needs,” he said in a statement today.Under phase one of the NDC implementation, Southeast Asia’s leading travel platform Traveloka and business travel agency Traveloka and Holiday Tours &amp; Travel are partnering with Malaysia Airlines to enjoy greater access to air content and rich content, direct marketing promotions with travel agents and partners, personalised product offerings and promotions tailored based on varying customer profiles."We are pleased to launch this pilot phase together with our partners as it marks an important step forward in our NDC journey to enhance the user and traveller experience,” Izham said.NDC is a travel industry-supported programme by the International Air Transport Association that allows airlines to modernise the way products are retailed to travel agents and travellers with curated services and enhanced product offerings, therefore improving the overall customer experience.MAG said MHPlus, which aims to embed a streamlined transmission process across the travel industry distribution chain, is targeted to go live in the second half of 2023.