Universitas Indonesia (UI) inaugurated five advanced laboratories under the UI-Net Zero Initiative (UI-NZI) program on Thursday, January 9, located in the Interdisciplinary Engineering (IDE) Building, Faculty of Engineering, UI. The five laboratories—Energy Transition Laboratory (ETL), Sustainable Energy System Laboratory (SESL), Electric Vehicle Testing Laboratory (EV Testing Lab), Environmental and Conservation Laboratory (ECL), and Indonesia Climate Modeling and Policy Hub (I-CLIMB)—are intended to support the energy transition, environmental sustainability, and the achievement of the Net Zero Emission target by 2060.
UI Rector, Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU, inaugurated these laboratories as part of the university’s commitment to advancing interdisciplinary-based research. In his remarks, he emphasized that the existence of these facilities is expected to not only produce research outputs, but also provide real impacts for the public and industry.
“What we expect now is certainly not only limited to the output, but also the impact of all the equipment installed. Of course, there must be innovative research activities by utilizing the equipment. Later, it will produce scientific publications, intellectual property rights, technology, and prototype products that can support industrialization and the economy in this country,” he said.
These five laboratories were built through a grant from Pusat Unggulan Antar Perguruan Tinggi, or PUAPT (Inter-University Center of Excellence) worth 178 billion rupiah from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology. UI is one of the five best universities in Indonesia that received this funding.
The Chairperson of UI-NZI, Prof. Dr. Ir. Widodo Wahyu Purwanto, DEA, explained that this laboratory functions as an interdisciplinary research center that focuses on three main areas, namely energy transition, bio-conservation, and green economy.
“The goal of UI-NZI is to become an interdisciplinary research center in three main areas, namely energy transition, bio-conservation, and green economy, to respond to issues related to climate change,” he said.
The Energy Transition Laboratory, located in the IDE Building of the Faculty of Engineering, facilitates research related to green energy technologies such as photovoltaics, energy storage materials, and green hydrogen. The Sustainable Energy System Laboratory in the same location supports the development of sustainable energy system models based on economic, social, and policy data.
The Electric Vehicle Testing Laboratory, located in the iCELL Building of the Faculty of Engineering, functions to test the performance, safety, and efficiency of electric vehicles. This laboratory also ensures that electric vehicles meet international standards through comprehensive testing of components such as batteries and electric motors.
The Environmental and Conservation Laboratory, located in the Multidisciplinary Research Laboratory Building of the FMIPA UI, supports environmental conservation and the development of environmentally friendly technologies. This laboratory focuses on ecosystem restoration, natural resource management, and conservation planning based on scientific data.
The Indonesia Climate Modeling and Policy Hub at the Faculty of Economics and Business UI is a center for collaboration between researchers, climate modelers, and policy makers to create data-based solutions to the challenges of climate change. This laboratory aims to support transparency, empowerment, and cross-institutional collaboration.
With the inauguration of these five laboratories, Universitas Indonesia strengthens its position as a world-class research institution that makes a real contribution to sustainable development. This facility is expected to accelerate the creation of innovative solutions to the challenges of climate change while strengthening collaboration between academics, industry, and government.
