InfoSAWIT, BANDUNG - a significant move towards enhancing Indonesia's renewable energy landscape, the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), PT Pertamina (Persero), PT Pindad (Persero), and the Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday, August 7, 2025. This event coincided with the 2025 Indonesian Science, Technology, and Industry Convention (KSTI), attended by President Prabowo Subianto.
The collaboration aims to focus on the processing of vegetable oils into biofuels, thereby strengthening the national renewable energy ecosystem and accelerating research and innovation in environmentally friendly energy solutions. The MoU was signed by ITB Rector Prof. Tatacipta Dirgantara, Pertamina President Director Simon Aloysius Mantiri, Pindad President Director Sigit P. Santosa, and BPDP President Director Eddy Abdurrachman. This agreement marks a cross-sector synergy between academia, the energy industry, and defense manufacturing.
The scope of collaboration includes education, research, and community service centered on the technology of converting vegetable oils into fuel, knowledge exchange, and engagement of each party's affiliates.
Prof. Tata emphasized that this partnership aligns with the university's mission to address sustainable energy challenges. "ITB is ready to contribute through strategic and innovative research to support the development of competitive and environmentally friendly biofuels," he stated, as reported by InfoSAWIT on August 11, 2025.
Pertamina's Simon Aloysius Mantiri highlighted the importance of this collaboration in strengthening the energy transition. "The synergy between industry and academia is key to addressing future energy needs," he remarked.
Meanwhile, Pindad's Sigit P. Santosa noted that academic support from ITB would bolster national industrial technology innovation. "We are optimistic that this collaboration will yield applicable innovations that support energy independence," he said.
This strategic collaboration is expected to catalyze the emergence of innovative solutions based on local natural resources, further solidifying Indonesia's position in the global energy transition landscape. (T2)
