Students and green industry are two variables that shape the future of Indonesia's economy. However, both require the role of the business world to make them synergistic.

This became the common thread in the Annual Indonesia Green Industry Summit (AIGIS) Green Scientific Competition 2025 held at the Ministry of Industry Building, Jakarta, Wednesday (30/7/2025).

Vice President Director of PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN), Bob Azam, highlighted the importance of preparing human resources to become the leading sector that attracts green industries. This is what in the future can become a new job field for Indonesian workers.

According to him, human resources (HR) need to be prepared so that they become the leading sector. It is human resources that attract the industry towards the green industry, not the industry then looking for its workforce,

"The philosophy of'make people before make product' becomes relevant here, where talent preparation is key to optimizing the benefits of the green industry," Bob said.

Luh Gede Saraswati Putri, a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Indonesia and author of the book Ecophenomenology, emphasizes that the availability of green jobs for gen-Z is highly dependent on an integrated ecosystem.

This ecosystem involves four main pillars: universities, industry, government, and consumers.

"As long as we understand that environmental sustainability is an issue of collective welfare, then we are encouraged to make the ecosystem healthier," explains the woman who is usually called Saras Dewi.

Encourage student innovation

The government through the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) is also actively encouraging the development of green industries by involving the role of campuses.

Secretary General of the Ministry of Industry Eko S.A. Cahyanto, at the Annual Indonesia Green Industry Summit (AIGIS) Green Scientific Competition 2025 (AIGIS) underlined the importance of encouraging students to continue to innovate and contribute to the green industry.

"Indonesia in the future must grow and be sustainable. A sustainable industry is a green industry. So I hope that in the future students will continue to innovate for the green industry," he said.

This demonstrates the Ministry of Industry's commitment to creating an ecosystem conducive to the development of green industries, where universities are strategic partners in producing competent human resources and relevant innovations.

Collaboration between academia, industry and government is expected to accelerate Indonesia's transition to a sustainable green economy.

A wave of enthusiasm and innovation is now coming from students, who are ready to face the challenges and opportunities in the green industry. This was revealed in the momentum of AIGIS, which became a platform for their brilliant ideas. With an adaptive mentality and strong determination, students are ambitious to be part of the solution to the transition to a more sustainable economy.

This spirit is a breath of fresh air amidst the need for new talent in various sectors, including renewable energy, waste management, circular economy and efficiency technology. These sectors are recognized to still face a potential gap between future industry needs and current graduate qualifications.

Sadam Alharitsi, a student of the Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning at Trisakti University, revealed that preparing to innovate in the green industry sector requires a strong and adaptive mentality.

"We have to prepare mentally, especially since the process took quite a long time. Three weeks and we stayed up almost every night on Zoom to revise our innovation," says Sadam, describing the dedication required.

Similarly, Ahla Ai, Sadam's colleague from the same faculty, explained one of their innovations: zero emission solar-based public transport. This innovation produces absolutely no carbon emissions and is energy independent, in line with Indonesia's target to achieve net zero emissions by 2060.

"With our work, our innovation, it can be used in the future for the future and for national energy in the future," Ahla hopes.

Students see the importance of in-depth knowledge of "green" aspects as a key skill to enter the green workforce. Ahla emphasized, "The knowledge of green must be strengthened, because we must know, it must be relevant to the job."

AIGIS Green Scietific Competition 2025 is a scientific work competition that is part of the AIGIS Goes to Campus event series. This event is organized by the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) and is intended for students to contribute to the development of green industry through research and innovation.

The competition was attended by four universities and one polytechnic, namely, University of Indonesia (UI), Trisakti University, Padjajaran University, Bina Nusantara University (BINUS), and Bandung Polytechnic School of Textile Technology (STTT). A total of 15 groups participated with various innovations regarding environmental technology, product innovation, and waste management activities. 

The five selected works received funding and internship programs at PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN), World Resources Institute (WRI), or Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR). Here are the selected works:

1. University of Indonesia with the Bobox program , a waste management and control system at the university of Indonesia.

2. Padjadjaran University with Biostay innovation as a substitute forStyrofoam which is processed from waste materials of singking skin and rice husk.

3. Trisakti University with a battery exchange system as a solar electric vehicle platform.

4. Binus with aqualtur innovation as a utilization of solar energy in the pond industry.

5. Politeknik STTT Bandung with non-woven works made from natural materials as heat absorbers.