The collaboration between Faculty of Engineering UNDIP with PT. Powerblock Indonesia does not stop at research activities but continues to knowledge sharing in the form of Public Lectures and discussions and exhibitions of industrial products from PT. Powerblock Indonesia with the theme KNOWLEDGE OF MATERIALS AND PRODUCT MATERIALS OF PT. POWERBLOCK INDONESIA under the topic “INNOVATIVE SOLUTION OF EFFICIENT, HIGH QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY FOR THIS NATION”. This public lecture was held on Wednesday 25 September 2019 from 8.00 – 16.00 at Hall A101 of the Department of Civil Engineering UNDIP with a total amount 250-300 participants consisting of lecturers, students, professional associations, contractors, consultants and publics.
The purpose of this public lecture is to convey a research collaboration and to introduce the development of AAC concrete panel products of PT. Powerblock Indonesia to lecturers, students and publics to increase the participation in developing AAC concrete through scientific research. After the reset was conducted, the next plan is to build a mock-up product at UNDIP from the results of the research collaboration in hope that the product will get exposed to academic communities and publics.
The problem that often arises is that there is a high risk of gap between the industry as a user of graduates and universities as a producer of graduates. Such conditions are often felt by industry as users of college graduates, where their industry accepts graduates whose competencies are not in-line with the core business needs of the industry itself and college graduates are considered as unprepared for the work. This is due to a fact that the development of technology in the industry is always progressing at any time, while the education curriculum in the institutions only changes periodically for five years. As a result, the development of educational curriculum in the institutions is unable to catch up with the ever-changing technological developments that lead to the curriculums as something that have been “left behind”.
To minimize the “gap” and to answer the challenges of the industrial world of competent human resources and mastering technology in accordance with industry needs, the Diponegoro University’s Faculty of Engineering cooperated with the industry to conduct joint research with PT. Powerblock Indonesia in the form of Research Collaboration. PT. Powerblock Indonesia is a leading producer of construction materials with lightweight AAC (Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) materials. The products that are produced with AAC materials consists of wall materials, floor panels and wall panels which are expected to have an important role in the world of construction in Indonesia, especially for buildings, apartments and housing. The provision of housing for the community by the government through the program of providing a million houses initiated by the Ministry of PUPR requires answers from developers in producing livable houses with affordable prices.
This research collaboration is carried out to conduct technical evaluation and development in which the results of the development of the products produced have good durability in accepting gravity loads and earthquake.
The Dean of FT Undip Prof. Agung Wibowo said that the research was expected to produce a PATENT. In line with taking the maximum benefit from research schemes on improving the quality of education and graduates, this research does not only involve lecturers but also involves S1, S2 and S3 students that will act as researchers according to their respective levels.
Prof. Agung Wibowo hopes that “Hopefully this Research Collaboration can bring lots of benefits for Science and Technology, Higher Education, the industrial world and the wider community especially in the field of construction” he concluded.
