Dr Ir I Ketut Gunarta MT received the award from Jumain Appe, the Director General of Innovation Strengthening in Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education

Pekanbaru, ITS News – The company owned by Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) managed to land the first place award in the National Innovation Product Competition for start-up category. The award was immediately given by the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education (Kemenristekdikti) in the evening of appreciation for National Technology Awakening Day (Hakteknas) 2018, on Friday night (8/10) in Pekanbaru, Riau Province.

Director of ITS Techno-Science Inc., Dr. Ir I Ketut Gunarta MT, when met directly at the location of Hakteknas 2018 appreciation night said, the company managed to get the award for its exceptional product, ITS Automatic Identification System (AISITS).

AISITS is an early warning system software in the maritime world that was successfully developed by ITS with Kobe University, Japan. AISITS can display real-time data and issue an early warning if a ship approaches a dangerous zone.

“The ability of AISITS is truly extraordinary, this software combines layers of ships that move with existing facilities under the sea such as subsea pipelines or submarine cables,” said the man who also served as Head of the ITS Business Development and Management Agency (BPPU).

Dr. Ir I Ketut Gunarta MT, Director of ITS Techno-Science Inc., when he was given the award at the Hakteknas Appreciation Night 2018

With AISITS, the number of accidents within maritime sector can be minimized. “And this (technology) is the only one in Indonesia,” he said.

Gunarta also added that besides the many advantages possessed by AISITS, the award won was also based on the value of the innovation. Considering the demands from government; especially the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education; for any higher education institution to keep improving their innovative products as preparation to face the fourth industrial era. In addition, AISITS is also said to represent the spirit of the 23rd Hakteknas, namely its jargon which sounded “Inovasi, Bangun Bangsa” (translation: “Innovation, to Build The Nation”).

For a newly established company in 2017, this is a proud achievement for ITS Techno-Science Inc. “There are 57 start-up companies from all over Indonesia who took part in the competition for this category, and we (ITS Techno-Science Inc.) were the one who managed to get the award,” he said. (ITS Public Relations Officer)

Posing together with other winners from different categories in the Hakteknas Appreciation Night 2018