Three students from the Faculty of Engineering at Universitas Indonesia (FTUI), who formed Team Arcyim, achieved 1st Runner-Up in the Engineering Case Competition at the Indonesia Chemical Engineering Challenge (IChEC) 2026. The team consisted of Cindy Nazwa Putri (Bioprocess Engineering 2023), Imanue Bagaswara (Chemical Engineering 2023), and Arya Dwi Prasetya (Chemical Engineering 2023).
The national competition, organized by Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), was held from September 2025 to February 2026 and attracted more than 600 participants from over 50 universities across Indonesia. The winners were officially announced on February 15, 2026, at the ITB campus in Bandung.
In the competition, which was held in collaboration with Pertamina, participants were challenged to design comprehensive engineering solutions to real industrial problems, covering technical, economic, and sustainability aspects. Under the supervision of Fatimah Azizah Riyadi, B.Eng., M.Sc., Ph.D., CertDA, a lecturer from the Department of Chemical Engineering FTUI, Team Arcyim presented a project titled “Valorization of Sorghum Grain into Gluten-Free Flour: An Integrated Plant Solution for Bioethanol Profitability and National Food Security.”
“This idea introduces an integrated biorefinery concept that optimizes the utilization of sorghum plants as a dual resource for food and energy. In this system, sorghum stalks continue to be used for bioethanol production, while the grains, which were previously underutilized, are processed into value-added gluten-free flour,” explained Azizah.
Through this approach, the team aims to increase the economic value of biomass while supporting national food diversification. The proposed solution is also designed to strengthen energy and food security without reducing bioethanol output, thereby creating a more efficient and sustainable system.
One of the team members, Cindy Nazwa Putri, shared that participating in this competition provided an opportunity to integrate engineering knowledge with real challenges in the energy and food sectors.
“We tried to view the potential of sorghum more comprehensively through a biorefinery approach, so that it contributes not only to bioethanol production but also generates value-added food products. We hope this concept can serve as an alternative solution to support energy and food security in Indonesia,” she said.
The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Universitas Indonesia, Prof. Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., also expressed his appreciation for the achievement.
“This accomplishment demonstrates the capability of FTUI students to develop engineering solutions that are not only technically strong but also relevant to industry needs and sustainability issues. We hope this achievement will inspire other students to continue innovating and contributing meaningful solutions for society,” he stated.
The success of Team Arcyim at the Indonesia Chemical Engineering Challenge (IChEC) 2026 once again highlights the commitment of FTUI students to delivering engineering-based innovations that contribute to sustainable development, particularly in supporting national energy and food security.
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering Universitas Indonesia
