Prof. Ichsan emphasized the necessity of reorganizing long-standing centers like PRI to remain relevant and competitive with other research institutions.

“As an established research center, PRI faces significant challenges in encouraging its members to evolve and align with current industrial and academic standards. The first essential step is reorganization, enabling us to deliver significant results for ITB in the future,” he stated.

He further detailed several concrete actions taken, including discussions with existing laboratories to develop future strategies. The primary goal is to enhance publication output and foster industry collaboration, ensuring that research not only results in project outcomes but also in high-quality scientific publications that support the educational sector in Indonesia. According to Prof. Ichsan, it is crucial for each project to consider how it can be expanded into a scientific publication, beyond its immediate results.

At the Light Structures Laboratory, Prof. Ichsan has initiated various projects with potential for scientific publication. Among the ongoing projects is an analysis of the strength of railway structures, collaborating with PT. INKA and the ITB team in designing a high-speed train named Kereta Cepat Merah Putih (KCMP), capable of operating at 300 km/hour in Sulawesi. Additionally, PRI is engaged in the KRL life extension project with PT. INKA and collaborates with Komatsu in modeling steel welding supervision.

PRI also aims to increase student involvement in every research project. Prof. Ichsan highlighted that students from ITB's undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs, including fast-track students whose research spans from undergraduate to postgraduate levels, are actively participating in these projects, producing in-depth research worthy of publication.

He underscored the importance of industry collaboration in enhancing the quality of PRI’s research, citing the project with PT. Pindad to design fire-resistant vehicle walls as an example. This partnership opens opportunities for scientific publications to improve PRI’s research quality.

The presentation was attended by various stakeholders, including lecturers and researchers from other research centers under the umbrella of LPIT. It is anticipated that through this strategy of reorganization and performance enhancement, PRI will continue to make significant contributions to the advancement of science and technology at ITB and across Indonesia.

Reporter: Iko Sutrisko Prakasa Lay (Mathematics, 2021)
Translator: Hanifa Juliana (Urban and Regional Planning, 2020)
Editor: Anggi Nurdiani (Management, 2024)