ITS Campus, ITS News – In recent years, the footwear industry has made significant progress. By seeing the great potential in this industry. Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) is ready to collaborate through the development of digital technology. In this case, ITS collaborated with the Indonesian Footwear Industry Development Center (BPIPI) through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop the potential of the footwear industry in Indonesia, Saturday (20/3).

The signing of this memorandum of understanding was carried out directly by the Vice-Rector IV for Research, Innovation, Cooperation, and Alumni ITS Bambang Pramujati ST MSc Eng Ph.D. and the Director-General of Small, Medium Industry and Various Gati Wibawaningsih STeks MA from the Indonesian Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) in the Hall Building BPIPI, Tanggulangin, Sidoarjo.

ITS Vice-Rector IV Bambang Pramujati ST MScEng Ph.D. and Head of BPIPI Edi Suhendra show a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

In her opening speech, Gati Wibawaningsih conveyed the enormous potential of the footwear industry in Indonesia. The pandemic period is also not a barrier as evidenced by the increasing investment performance from 2019 and 2020. “The Indonesian footwear industry is currently ranked 4th in the world,” she said.

(from left) Edi Suhendra, Prof. Dr. Mochamad Ashari, Gati Wibawaningsih, and Bambang Pramujati taking a group photo in front of the BPIPI Hall, Sidoarjo

It is a challenge for BPIPI as the agency that heads the industry to keep up with the trend by increasing productivity and exports. “Especially with digitalization, if it is not distributed to the public quickly, it will be left behind,” she warned.

BPIPI chose ITS as a cooperation partner. One of which is because of the sophistication of technology that ITS has. This form of cooperation is the development of digital technology for start-ups and networking needs of the industrial and educational world.

Head of BPIPI Edi Suhendra and ITS Rector Prof. Dr. Mochamad Ashari when exchanging souvenirs after signing the MoU

One of the manifestations is the main program of the Technology Business Incubator (IBT) which focuses on growing and fostering local start-ups and tenants in the footwear sector (where leather goods are included). Besides, tenants will be encouraged to implement the Internet of Things (IoT) and sustainable technology to support the Making Indonesia 4.0 Initiation policy.

In addition to ITS Vice-Rector IV, the signing of the MoU was also attended by ITS Rector Prof. Dr. Ir Mochamad Ashari MEng who also gave a speech, lecturers from the ITS Industrial Product Design Department Djoko Kuswanto ST MBiotech, and Head of BPIPI Edi Suhendra SKom.

ITS Rector Prof. Dr. Mochamad Ashari (second from left) while giving a speech at the signing of the MoU

In his speech, ITS Rector who is familiarly called Ashari explained that this was the umpteenth time cooperation with BPIPI. “We would be happy if we could change the mindset and traditional habits such as design and marketing took too much time,” he said.

Furthermore, Ashari stated that with industrial technology 4.0, various things could be done. He gave an example with shoe designs that can be directed to health. Apart from design, other things that ITS supports in this industry are the provision of materials, processes, production, and marketing.

Welcoming them, Ashari appreciated this collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and BPIPI. “Hopefully this cooperation can provide more benefits to all Indonesian people,” he concluded hopefully.

Director-General of the Ministry of Industry Gati Wibawaningsih and ITS Rector Prof. Dr. Mochamad Ashari when seeing the Creative Footwear Design competition participants

After the signing of the MoU, the agenda was continued with a webinar entitled Socialization of Footwear Business Technology Incubator (IBT): Change ‘Isolation’ to Incubation through Digitalization aimed at shoe manufacturers by presenting Djoko Kuswanto from ITS as one of the presenters. (pan/ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: ion3