From forest gold to bottled fragrance, UTM gives agarwood new life

What began as research into Malaysia’s forest treasures has culminated in the development of a commercially viable perfume derived from ‘Aquilaria malaccensis’, a species of agarwood. — Bernama pic

First Published: Tuesday, 13 Oct 2026 7:00 AM MYT

MUAR, Oct 13 — What began as research into Malaysia’s forest treasures has successfully led to the development of a commercially viable perfume product derived from Aquilaria malaccensis, the agarwood species.

The Innovation Centre in Agritechnology for Advanced Bioprocessing (ICA) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Pagoh Campus has developed the product, known as “Fragrad.”

This initiative paves the way for the commercialisation of university research while enhancing the value of agarwood, a resource often dubbed as “forest gold.”

ICA UTM Pagoh campus research officer Dr Norliza Abdul Latiff said the idea to create an agarwood-based perfume emerged in 2023 after she was captivated by the wood’s aroma during her research.

She noted that the concept received the backing of ICA director Prof Dr Hesham Ali El-Enshasy and was subsequently developed through a UTM research grant, involving a team of 13 experts.

“We want this research not merely to end in the laboratory but to be translated into innovations with commercial value.

“After about a year of developing the formulation, in 2024 we successfully produced an agarwood-based perfume named Fragrad,” she told Bernama when met recently.

Norliza, who is also the lead researcher for the ICA UTM Agarwood Perfume Project, said the formulation process involved several stages to ensure the scent remained consistent and long-lasting.

Fragrad currently comes in four fragrance variations namely SheGrad, HeGrad, Teja, and Tuah, developed to cater to diverse consumer preferences. — Bernama pic

She noted that the product was developed as one of UTM’s “signature” products and has the potential to serve as an exclusive university souvenir.

Fragrad currently comes in four fragrance variations namely SheGrad, HeGrad, Teja, and Tuah, developed to cater to diverse consumer preferences.

“All the fragrances utilise agarwood essence sourced from local suppliers, and the production process takes between three weeks and two months, depending on the grade and formulation,” she said.

She said about 25 per cent agarwood essence is used in each formulation before it is blended with other fragrance components and ingredients.

According to her, the use of local raw materials helps establish a value chain linking university research with the industry, while also expanding the potential of agarwood as a high-value downstream product.

However, she noted that securing a supply of high-quality agarwood essence remains a major challenge, as the raw material is not easily obtained and requires advance ordering from suppliers.

She added that ICA UTM aims to introduce at least one new agarwood-based product annually, in line with efforts to bring research outcomes to the market.

Fragrad is currently marketed through UTMart at UTM Skudai Campus in Johor Bahru, as well as via several online sales platforms.

She said nearly 300 bottles of the perfume have been produced so far, and ICA UTM targets sales exceeding 600 bottles over the three-year commercialisation period from 2024 to 2027. — Bernama