Thursday, 24 September 2026 — President University, together with the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, the Jakarta Provincial Government, and PT Jababeka Tbk, held the final of AI Open Innovation Challenge 2026 at Menara Batavia, Jakarta. Under the theme “Preparing Future AI Talent,” the competition brought together academia, industry, government, and professionals to develop AI-based solutions using real cases provided by eight case providers, with technology support from NVIDIA and Lintasarta.
The competition attracted 1,560 registrants, with 1,041 participants verified as eligible and 20 finalist teams selected from the high school and vocational school, as well as university student and general categories. Throughout the competition, participants received technology tutorials, mentoring, coaching, and company visits to understand industry challenges and needs. The activities encouraged participants to connect their AI capabilities with real problems in industry and society.
The connection between technology and real-world issues was reflected in the solutions developed by participants, including those addressing waste management and transportation in Jakarta. Feirully Irzal, B.Eng., MBA, who delivered remarks on behalf of the Governor of Jakarta, Dr. Ir. Pramono Anung Wibowo, M.M., highlighted the role of young people in developing technology-based solutions. “AI is no longer monopolized by large laboratories, but is already in the hands of our young people. You are all winners because you have shown that Indonesia’s young generation is not only a user, but also a creator and innovator,” Feirully said.
Suparjo, S.Ap., M.Ap., Senior Policy Analyst at the Deputy for Trade and Digital Economy Coordination, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, emphasized the need for Indonesia to strengthen its position as a producer of innovation. “Indonesia must transform into a producer of innovation, a creator of solutions, and a development hub,” he said. He added that the innovation process should continue beyond the competition, allowing solutions to be tested, implemented, and developed into economic value.
The importance of connecting innovation with industry was also highlighted by Cahyo Rahadian Muzhar, S.H., LL.M., Director of Batavia Campus, President University. He explained that innovation is often not fully aligned with industry needs because innovators do not have sufficient information about the challenges faced by industry. “That is why activities like this are positive,” Cahyo said. PT Jababeka Tbk’s involvement also provided participants with an industry context for developing their solutions.
Ardiyansyah Djafar, VP Business Development of PT Jababeka Tbk, emphasized that technological development still requires people to determine its direction and use. “Basically, machines will become increasingly smarter and more powerful than humans. However, there are things that cannot be replaced because, essentially, machines are tools,” he said. This perspective highlighted the importance of developing AI talent not only with technical capabilities, but also with the ability to understand problems and determine how technology should be applied.
One of the solutions developed by the participants was Manusia yang Tak Pakai AI Akan Kalah, which won the overall championship of AI Open Innovation Challenge 2026. The team developed an AI-based solution for network logistics to help optimize logistics processes according to industry needs. The solution demonstrated how AI can be applied to analyze processes and support decision-making in logistics management.
The final also featured a talk show and knowledge-sharing session with Gerry Gusman Wibowo, S.Kom., M.Kom., Head of Solutions Architect, Global & Partnership at Lintasarta, and Umar Bahari, S.Si., Microbiology Manager at TÜV NORD Group. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Erwin Parasian Sitompul, S.T., M.Sc., Director of FabLab, President University, and Chairperson of AI Open Innovation Challenge 2026, explained that the winners will proceed to business matching to explore opportunities to further develop and utilize their innovations with the case providers. “Hopefully, this activity will continue to create a positive impact for education, industry, and the Jakarta government,” Erwin said.
