The Alumni Association of Chemical Engineering (Ikatan Alumni Teknik Kimia / IKATEKA) UNDIP, in collaboration with the Chemical Engineering Department of the Faculty of Engineering at Universitas Diponegoro and the Chemical Engineering Division of the Indonesian Engineers Association (BKKPII), held the 2024 Annual Meeting with the theme “Enhancing Process Safety Management & Green Industry Implementation to Strengthen NZE Acceleration.” The event was held at the Muladi Dome, UNDIP Tembalang Campus, Semarang, from September 26 to 28, 2024. A total of 24 industrial exhibition tenants showcased a variety of their flagship products at the BKKPII Annual Meeting 2024. The event included several other activities, such as the Opening Ceremony of the BKKPII 2024 Annual Meetin, followed by the Green Industry Conference (26/09) and the Process Safety Conference (27/09). It ended with a Fun Walk & Tree Planting activity at the UNDIP Integrated Waste Management Site (Tempat Pengelolaan Sampah Terpadu / TPST) (28/09).
BKKPII serves as a platform for Indonesian chemical engineers to unite. IKATEKA UNDIP, as part of this organization, is the official body representing Chemical Engineering alumni from Diponegoro University and actively contributes to the alma mater through social activities, seminars, training, and collaborations with industries.
The Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, and Cooperation at Diponegoro University, Wijayanto, Ph.D., representing the Rector of UNDIP, conveyed in his remarks that this outstanding forum, in accordance with its theme, addresses the need to build a green industry, driven by global efforts to tackle environmental challenges such as climate change, pollution, and natural resource scarcity. Achieving a green industry requires various vital factors to ensure it operates effectively, efficiently, and sustainably. The role of chemical engineers in developing a green sector is crucial.
“Chemical engineers are vital because they possess expertise in designing and optimizing processes that are not only efficient but also sustainable. I believe this congress will generate many ideas and solutions for addressing climate change and environmental sustainability. The role of chemical engineers becomes extremely significant in the transition towards a greener and more sustainable industry,” Wijayanto stated.
“UNDIP is one of Indonesia’s pride universities, especially in Central Java, which is always committed to producing engineering professionals, including chemical engineers. The education provided consistently supports the development of character following the COMPLETE profile (Communicator, Professional, Leader, Thinker, Entrepreneur, and Educator). This profile is evident in the outstanding UNDIP engineering graduates and alumni, who are also skilled communicators. To support this profile, we continuously collaborate with international partners to achieve the goal of becoming a World Class University,” he added.
“We strongly support this event and hope that this congress serves as a medium of communication between universities, especially chemical engineering programs, and various stakeholders, which can be further developed. We believe that Indonesia is too vast to be managed alone, so we must collaborate through innovation,” emphasized Vice Rector IV.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the BKKPII 2024 Annual Meeting Committee, Ir. Prayitno, S.T., MBA, IPM, ASEAN Eng., APEC Eng., ACPE, stated that the Annual Meeting is a yearly activity conducted by BKKPII to support the government’s program for accelerating Net Zero Emissions (NZE) by 2050. “We hope that this annual meeting will foster collaboration between universities, practitioners, and the government to accelerate the implementation of a green industry,” Prayitno said after the Opening Ceremony of the BKKPII 2024 Annual Meeting.
Furthermore, Ir. Maryono, M.M., IPM., as the Chairman of BKKPII, added that there are currently 4,000 members across Indonesia. This Annual Meeting is the third to be held. The first Annual Meeting took place at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Yogyakarta, followed by the second at the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Surabaya. “The Annual Meeting not only includes conferences but also the BKKPII Convention, which involves the election of new board members and vice-chairmen,” explained Maryono.
The Director of Upstream Chemical Industry of the Directorate General of IKFT, Indonesian Ministry of Industry, Ir. Wiwik Pudjiastuti, M.Si., stated that the industrial sector is deeply connected to the role of engineers, including chemical engineers. Engineers are needed to support the development of the green industry in Indonesia.
Currently, the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) is targeting Net Zero Emissions (NZE), which was initially set for 2060 but has been pushed forward by 10 years to 2050. Indonesia’s industry is supported by nine sectors: the chemical industry, metal industry, paper industry, ceramics and glass industry, cement industry, textile industry, transportation equipment industry, and food and beverage industry.
“We have already begun efforts through several policies. One initiative that we started some time ago is the implementation of green industry standards,” stated Ir. Wiwik.
“By implementing these green industry standards and obtaining green industry certifications, it is hoped that the target for industry, including the net zero emission goal, can be achieved. Additionally, this Annual Meeting is expected to increase knowledge about Process Safety Management and enhance value protection throughout all business sectors in Indonesia,” Wiwik concluded. (DHW – Public Relations)
