Teams from Jakarta’s Trisakti University, backed by full university funding, secure top honors at a major Southeast Asian innovation competition, showcasing cross-disciplinary collaboration.
BANGKOK, Thailand — Student teams from Indonesia’s Universitas Trisakti have delivered a standout performance at a leading regional technology expo in Bangkok, securing three gold medals, two silvers, and two special awards. The achievements at the International Intellectual Property, Invention, Innovation, and Technology Exposition (IPITEX) 2026 highlight a growing emphasis on interdisciplinary, problem-solving innovation at the Jakarta-based institution.
The winning projects, developed by students from diverse academic backgrounds and mentored by Dr. Ryan Johan Sembiring, focused on practical applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). The gold-medal innovations included an AI-enhanced smart sniper rifle, an interactive trash-sorting robot, and a real-time vision assistance device for the visually impaired—the latter two also earning special awards from international organizations in Korea and Taiwan.
A Model of Cross-Faculty Collaboration and Institutional Support
A notable aspect of Trisakti’s delegation was its successful model of cross-faculty teamwork. Students from law, medicine, economics, industrial technology, and design collaborated, blending distinct skill sets to create comprehensive solutions. For instance, the smart vision aid was developed by a team pairing Industrial Technology and Fine Arts & Design students.
The university’s administration emphasized its commitment to fostering such creativity. Ir. Yoska Oktaviano, the Vice Rector for Student Affairs, stated that the institution covered all competition costs as tangible support for student innovation. “Usakti is very concerned with competitions and student creativity, and the Rector’s policy strongly supports this,” Oktaviano said.
Competing on a Regional Stage
IPITEX, held annually at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), is a key platform for inventors, researchers, and innovators across Southeast Asia and beyond to showcase intellectual property and technological advancements. Trisakti’s participation and success reflect a strategic push to position its students on an international stage within the fields of cutting-edge applied technology.
The other awarded projects included silver medals for an automatic firefighting robot and a smart tactical helmet with IoT-based hazard detection, further underscoring the teams’ focus on safety and accessibility challenges.
For the global academic and tech community observing from hubs like Bali, Trisakti’s accomplishment is a data point in the evolving landscape of Indonesian higher education. It demonstrates how institutional policy—fully funded competition participation—combined with a collaborative, problem-based approach can yield significant international recognition, suggesting a potential blueprint for other universities aiming to cultivate a culture of impactful, student-led innovation.
