The Rector of Universitas Indonesia (UI), Prof. Ari Kuncoro, S.E., M.A., Ph.D., inaugurated Prof. Ir. Abdul Wahid, M.T., Ph.D. as a Permanent Professor of the UI Faculty of Engineering, on Wednesday (30/8), at the UI Council Hall, Depok Campus. The inauguration ceremony was also attended by Deputy Mayor of Depok, Ir. H. Imam Budi Hartono, M.Si.; DPD RI member from West Java, KH. Amang Syafrudin, Lc., M.M.; and Yeungnam University lecturer, South Korea, Prof. Moon Yong Lee.
The professorship was awarded after Prof. Abdul delivered a scientific oration entitled “Advanced Process Control: A Bridge to the Research-Industry Gap in Indonesia”. In his oration, Prof. Abdul mentioned that control systems are something familiar in everyday life that can be found in traffic lights; household appliances such as two-tube washing machines, ovens, and microwaves; even in children’s toys such as toy cars that are run by pulling back the wheels.
On a larger scope, the control system is known as advanced process control (APC). APC is a well-established control technique that is widely used in industry to improve the efficiency of process unit operations. There are four main APCs, namely model predictive control (MPC), robust control, adaptive control, and nonlinear control. Of the four APCs, MPC is considered the “crown jewel” of control theory because it can calculate optimal control actions, based not only on instantaneous state measurements but also on anticipated process responses.
MPC is not a theoretical work whose source is academic research, but rather industrial implementation. However, the development of academic research exceeds its application in industry. In addition, the big data revolution currently taking place in science, technology and society will challenge the idea of the role of data in automatic control and motivate intensive research into APC.
This APC-related research is necessary given the large role of APC in industry. To increase revenue, industries not only select free variables that enable the provision of products at low cost but also need to use advanced process control (APC) such as MPC. Therefore, there must be a bridge to connect the research-industry gap.
According to Prof. Abdul, APC, especially MPC, is the most appropriate to bridge the research-industry gap because it has been proven to increase profits, be able to answer future challenges and be able to manage process complexity with excellent performance. Therefore, researchers and industry need to take concrete steps to transfer MPC knowledge and technology.
Mutual communication between researchers and industry is one of the bridges that can plug the research-industry gap. With mutual communication, academic researchers transfer new algorithms discovered to the industry, while the industry transfers development data to academic researchers. For example, there are products (software) from an industry that do not have accurate system identification. Academic researchers can transfer new methods to the industry, and the industry can share related information with the public.
“There are many success stories of APC applications in the industry. Some of them are the propane/isobutane splitter (C3/iC4 splitter) of Phillips’ Borger Refinery (Texas), the ethylene process industry, and the butadiene plant in Southern Italy. This success should trigger us to produce research that has a significant impact on industry and society,” said Prof. Abdul.
“The challenge of integrating academic research with industry needs is one that universities and research institutions around the world often face. Through the title of his speech, Prof. Abdul Wahid has highlighted the importance of advanced process control technology as a bridge to address the gap between academia and industry in Indonesia. Congratulations to Prof. Abdul Wahid on his inauguration as a professor, and we hope that his research will continue to provide inspiration and tangible benefits to academia, industry, and society at large,” said Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU when met at the end of the event.
This APC-related research is one of the research that Prof. Abdul has done. Previously, he had written scientific papers entitled Model Predictive Control with Exogenous Auto-Regressive Model to Improve Performance in the CO2 Removal (2023); Multivariable Model Predictive Control to Control Bio-H2 Production from Biomass (2023); and System Dynamics Modeling for Demographic Bonus Projection in Indonesia (2022). Prof. Abdul completed his bachelor’s degree in Gas and Petrochemical Engineering at UI in 1994; master’s degree in Chemical Engineering at UI in 2001; and doctoral degree in Chemical Engineering, at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor in 2016.
***
Public Communication Bureau
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia