United States Consul General in Surabaya Christopher R Green (fourth from right) and ITS Vice Chancellor III Imam Baihaqi ST MSc PhD (third from left) presented the champion award.

ITS Campus, ITS News — Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) reaffirmed its commitment to building a semiconductor innovation ecosystem in Indonesia by co-hosting the Semiconductor Venture Accelerator Final Pitch on Tuesday (25/11) at the ITS Department of Electrical Engineering. This event is the final stage of a series of educational collaboration activities in the semiconductor sector implemented by Arizona State University (ASU), United States, together with ITS with funding and support from the United States Consulate General in Surabaya.

The Final Pitch Competition , organized by ASU in collaboration with the ITS Directorate of Global Partnerships, took place in Room AJ201, Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Intelligent Electrical and Informatics Technology (FTEIC) ITS. Opened with remarks by the Deputy Dean of FTEIC ITS Dr. Dimas Anton Asfani, the series of events began with a panel discussion featuring judges from government, industry, and academia.

The judges were Rizki Triana Putri ( Deputy Director for Electronics and Component Sector, Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia), Prof. Dr. Trio Adiono ( Chairman of ICDeC), Ali Soebroto ( President Director of PT Panggung Electric Citrabuana), and Dr. Andri Mahendra ( Founder and CEO of Nicslab Technology). In this session, the panelists discussed the strategy for developing start-up businesses in the semiconductor sector, the challenges of high-tech innovation, and the importance of synergy between universities, industry players, and the government to strengthen Indonesia’s position in the global value chain of the semiconductor industry.

Next, eight finalist students from ITS and the Surabaya State Electronics Polytechnic (PENS) from the undergraduate and postgraduate Electrical Engineering and Engineering Physics programs presented startup ideas leveraging semiconductor technology to address various real-world needs. These included cloud- based EDA tools , AI accelerator chip design , materials and semiconductor technology for sustainability, and smart sensor solutions.

Riva Rizkiana Ramadhani, a student in the Department of Engineering Physics at ITS, was declared the winner with her proposal, titled SusTech ID , which received initial funding of US$500. Entrepreneurial mentoring for students will be provided starting in September 2025 through online and on-site meetings at ITS by Dr. Brent Sebold, the Hool Coury Law Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, ASU.

Konsul Jenderal Amerika Serikat di Surabaya Christopher R Green (kiri) bersama Wakil Rektor III ITS Imam Baihaqi ST MSc PhD saat serah terima suvenir usai acara

Kedelapan finalis ini sebelumnya mengikuti serangkaian kegiatan Semiconductor Incubator Program antara Juli hingga September 2025. Lebih dari 60 mahasiswa ITS dan PENS melakukan pembelajaran mandiri secara daring untuk Semiconductor Packaging and Characterization Specialization yang dikembangkan dan disampaikan oleh ASU bersama mitra industri sebagai program microcredential. Sebanyak 30 mahasiswa yang berhasil menyelesaikan sembilan modul dalam spesialisasi tersebut lolos ke tahap incubation untuk memperoleh pendampingan kewirausahaan oleh Dr Sebold dari ASU.

Sebelumnya, terdapat pula kegiatan workshop teknologi semikonduktor dan desain IC di ITS pada Mei 2025 lalu dengan pemateri Prof Krishnendu Chakrabarty (Director of ASU Center for Semiconductor Microelectronics). Dilanjutkan dengan kunjungan dan studi banding dosen ITS ke ASU dan industri di sekitarnya pada Juli 2025. Perencanaan dan pelaksanaan kegiatan ini dikoordinasikan oleh Meghan Gibson selaku Director for Global Operations, Global Outreach and Extended Education ASU; Puspa Asih Sagara selaku Country Director Kantor Perwakilan ASU di Indonesia; dan Dr Astria Nur Irfansyah dari Direktorat Kemitraan Global ITS.

Wakil Rektor III Bidang Sumber Daya Manusia, Organisasi, dan Teknologi Sistem Informasi ITS Imam Baihaqi ST MSc PhD menilai bahwa kerja sama ini merupakan program yang penting karena memperkuat kemitraan antara Indonesia dan Amerika Serikat dalam memajukan inovasi semikonduktor. “Kualitas ide yang dipresentasikan para finalis menunjukkan potensi besar mahasiswa Indonesia untuk berkontribusi pada kemajuan teknologi global dan mendorong lahirnya terobosan baru di bidang semikonduktor,” tutur dosen Departemen Manajemen Bisnis ITS ini.

Mahasiwa ITS Riva Rizkiana Ramadhani berhasil menjuarai kompetisi inovasi dan entreprenuer semikonduktor yang digelar ITS bersama Arizona State University, AS

Sementara itu, Country Director Kantor Perwakilan ASU di Indonesia Puspa Asih Sagara menjelaskan bahwa pihaknya merasa terhormat dapat menjadi mitra pelaksana dalam program ini. Ia menilai kolaborasi ASU – ITS ini sebagai contoh nyata kemitraan kuat antara Indonesia dan Amerika Serikat di bidang pendidikan dan inovasi semikonduktor. Puspa juga menyoroti perkembangan para peserta sepanjang program yang dinilai turut memperkuat calon SDM semikonduktor Indonesia serta mendorong mahasiswa untuk mengubah ide menjadi solusi yang berdampak nyata.

On the same occasion, the United States Consul General in Surabaya, Christopher R. Green, viewed this initiative as a crucial part of efforts to deepen economic ties between the United States and Indonesia in high-growth sectors. He emphasized that cooperation in the semiconductor sector is seen as strategic for building a secure and resilient supply chain. ” The Semiconductor Venture Accelerator competition also reflects the importance of partnerships between universities and industry in driving shared development and prosperity,” he said.

This collaborative activity between ITS and ASU is expected to continue in the form of educational collaboration at the departmental and faculty levels, including student exchanges and internships , certifications and microcredentials , joint capstone projects , global EPICS, and collaboration in research and innovation.

This competition contributes to the successful achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly point 9 on Infrastructure, Industry, and Innovation and point 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities. Furthermore, all of these activities reflect the spirit of collaboration in SDG point 17 on Partnerships to Achieve the Goals. (ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: Muhammad Rafi Ardiansyah