Semarang, May 15, 2025 – Students from Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) have once again made the university proud with an outstanding achievement. A team from the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology (TRKI) Program at UNDIP’s Vocational School won three prestigious awards at the 2025 Cipta Nusantara Fest (C.N. Fest)—a national scientific competition organized by EduHub Youth Invention in collaboration with the University of Riau on April 26–27, 2025.
This national competition brought together hundreds of creative students from across Indonesia. Amid fierce competition, the TRKI UNDIP team—consisting of Maya Qisthina Gaissani (team leader), Sigit Pramana, Mochammad Wibisono Faizun S., and Aisha Adinda Satyarani—stood out with their innovative project titled “Edible Film from Tofu Waste and Microalgae Chlorella vulgaris as an Eco-Friendly Packaging Alternative to Support Indonesia Emas 2045.”
Demonstrating both brilliance and deep environmental awareness, the team transformed tofu waste into a forward-thinking innovation. Their creation earned them a Gold Medal in the Energy and Environment category, the Best Idea award, and Third Place in the Essay category.
Their innovation utilized nata de soya, a fermented byproduct of tofu wastewater, combined with Chlorella vulgaris microalgae, to produce an edible film—a packaging material that is both consumable and biodegradable. Not only is it environmentally friendly, but it also functions as active packaging that can help extend the shelf life of food products.
“We’re concerned about two major environmental issues: waste from the food industry, particularly tofu, and pollution from single-use plastics. This innovation is our effort to offer a functional and sustainable solution,” explained Maya Qisthina, the team leader.
Designed with the principles of biodegradability, zero waste, and the circular economy, their edible film aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and supports the Indonesia Emas 2045 vision. Beyond its conceptual strength, the innovation shows promising potential for future commercial application.
Maya expressed pride in her team’s achievement. “This success is the result of our hard work and research collaboration. We hope this innovation can continue to develop and provide benefits to society and the national industry,” she said.
Their success was made possible through the dedicated guidance of Yusuf Ma’Rifat Fajar Azis, S.T., M.T., their supervising lecturer, who closely mentored the team from the research stage to the final scientific paper.
This achievement not only reflects the academic excellence of UNDIP’s TRKI students but also highlights the university’s strong commitment to fostering student innovation and research engagement. The team’s success was strengthened by interdisciplinary collaboration, covering materials formulation, environmental study, and scientific communication strategy.
The Head of the TRKI Program, Mohamad Endy Julianto, S.T., M.T., also conveyed his appreciation. “We are incredibly proud. Hopefully, this spirit of research and innovation continues to grow and make real contributions to society,” he said.
UNDIP’s TRKI Vocational Program remains dedicated to advancing sustainable development and supporting the Indonesia Emas 2045 long-term vision, with a strong emphasis on resource efficiency and environmental sustainability in future economic and industrial development.
With this achievement, UNDIP reaffirms its position as a leading higher education institution committed to nurturing innovative, solution-oriented young minds who are ready to make a meaningful impact on Indonesia’s future through the power of knowledge and research.
Recent Comments