The send-off ceremony for the 2026 Patriot Expedition Teams was held at Balai Kartini, Jakarta, on Thursday (30 July 2026). ITB Rector Prof. Dr. Ir. Tatacipta Dirgantara, M.T., attended the event alongside the Minister of Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia, M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara, and various stakeholders.

The 2026 Patriot Expedition is part of a collaboration between the Ministry of Transmigration and 10 partner universities, including ITB. The program aims to produce research, assessments, community assistance, and recommendations that can support the sustainable planning, construction, and development of transmigration areas.

Coordinator of the ITB Patriot Expedition Teams Prof. Dr. Sri Maryati, S.T., MIP., said that each ITB team consists of one team leader, who is an ITB lecturer, and five members, who are ITB alumni.

The ITB teams will be assigned to five locations:

1. 20 teams in Lereh, Jayapura Regency, Papua;

2. One team in Barelang, Batam City, Riau Islands;

3. One team in Cahaya Baru, Barito Kuala Regency, South Kalimantan;

4. One team in Kerang, Paser Regency, East Kalimantan; and

5. One team in Salim Batu, Bulungan Regency, North Kalimantan.

Prof. Sri explained that deploying 20 teams simultaneously to Lereh would enable the area’s challenges to be addressed through a multidisciplinary approach. Meanwhile, the teams assigned outside Papua will focus on the downstream development of leading commodities.

In Barelang, for example, the team will assess and develop the potential of the fisheries and maritime sectors into business plans that are ready to be presented to prospective investors.

“The downstream development process is expected to produce business proposals that are ready to offer. This means that the potential of existing commodities will not merely be mapped but developed into viable business opportunities that can be offered to investors,” she said.

The activities of the 20 ITB teams in Lereh will be divided into several clusters. The downstream development and leading commodities cluster will focus on increasing the productivity and added value of cocoa, one of the area’s key commodities.

The regional development cluster will design the Lereh Agropolitan concept, an area-development model that integrates agricultural activities with public services, infrastructure, product processing, and regional economic activities.

The agrarian reform cluster will examine and assist in resolving land and settlement issues, including land conflicts and relations between local communities and newcomers. The health and education cluster will work to improve the quality of essential services and strengthen community capacity.

The largest cluster, infrastructure and connectivity, will address issues related to clean water, sanitation and wastewater, waste management, energy, telecommunications, roads, bridges, and trade connectivity.

Prof. Sri explained that in 2026, the teams would implement the findings and data collected through studies conducted in the previous year so that the benefits could be felt directly by local communities.

The ITB Patriot Expedition Teams will begin departing for their respective assignment locations on Friday (31 July 2026) and will remain on duty until the end of November 2026.

Through its involvement in the program, ITB seeks to ensure that science and technology do not merely produce academic studies but are also applied to address the needs of communities. The teams’ work is expected to serve as a foundation for the government, businesses, and local communities in developing productive, connected, self-reliant, and sustainable transmigration areas.