UNAIR NEWS — Students from Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) have once again achieved international recognition. Representing the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Ir. Deny Aditya Pratama (Master of Management) and Muhammad Taufiq Hidayat (Economics Undergraduate Program) earned gold and bronze medals at the 2025 Chemical Industrial Downstream Challenge (CIDC), organized by PT Petrokimia Gresik.
CIDC is regarded as one of the premier competitions for innovation in the chemical industry. This year, 168 teams representing universities worldwide — including from South Korea, Australia, Iran, Taiwan, and Ireland — took part. From May until the final announcement on September 3, 2025, participants engaged in intense competition, presenting strategies to maximize the use of petrochemical by-products in ways that advance sustainability.
Two proposals presented
Representing UNAIR, Pratama and Hidayat competed with two standout proposals. Their first, “Purified Gypsum-based Lightweight Concrete Innovation for Sustainable Construction PT Petrokimia Gresik towards Net Zero Emission 2060,” outlined a sustainable approach to construction materials. The second, “Modular Biofertilizer Production from CO₂, and Ammonia Enhancer with Capacity of 30,000 tons/year for the PT Petrokimia Gresik Industrial Improvement,” focused on environmentally conscious agricultural solutions.
The projects impressed judges not only for their technical creativity but also for their integration of economic, business, and sustainability perspectives. UNAIR Faculty of Economics and Business lecturer Dr. Masmira Kurniawati praised the achievement, calling it a proud moment for the university. “This success demonstrates that students can apply their knowledge to develop effective, efficient solutions for business. I hope it inspires others to create solutions for the many SDG-related challenges Indonesia faces,” she said.
Bridging disciplines
For Pratama, competing at CIDC was both a professional and personal growth experience. “We combined technical, economic, and industrial knowledge while embracing sustainable innovation and business concepts. The competition gave us firsthand exposure to international industrial standards,” he said.
He also shared his reflections on the recognition. “We are delighted our ideas were acknowledged as not only innovative but also practical for real-world industry applications, particularly for PT Petrokimia Gresik,” Pratama concluded.
Author: Nur Khovivatul Mukorrobah
Editor: Ragil Kukuh Imanto
