EduAsiaNews, Balikpapan — Kalimantan Institute of Technology (ITK) has officially declared its readiness to host the 2026 Indonesian Flying Robot Contest (KRTI). The confirmation came following a coordination meeting between ITK and the Directorate of Learning and Student Affairs (Belmawa) under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, held on April 1, 2026, in Jakarta. The prestigious event is planned to take place in the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) area of East Kalimantan, a venue choice laden with symbolic significance for the future of Indonesian technology.
The coordination meeting was attended directly by Dr. Beny Bandanadjaja, S.T., M.T., Director of Belmawa, alongside ITK’s leadership. During the forum, ITK conveyed its initial readiness as the host while strengthening synergy with various stakeholders, including the IKN Authority. Intensive coordination continues to be pursued to ensure KRTI 2026 runs optimally and meets national standards. Multiple areas within the IKN region are also being planned for use to accommodate the various competition categories.
KRTI is one of the most prestigious national-level student technology competitions in Indonesia, attracting dozens of teams from universities across the country each year with a total participant count reaching thousands of students. The contest showcases student-built unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) innovations, designed and constructed entirely by the competing teams. Holding the event within the IKN area is seen as particularly strategic, as it brings together the spirit of technological competition with the ambition of building Indonesia’s city of the future.
ITK Rector Prof. Dr. Agus Rubiyanto, M.Eng.Sc., emphasized that hosting KRTI 2026 represents a strategic moment for the university to demonstrate its role in building the national aerospace technology ecosystem, particularly in the Kalimantan region. “ITK is ready to collaborate and contribute to the success of KRTI 2026, while delivering a competition experience that is not only of high quality, but also reflects the spirit of development in the Nusantara Capital City,” he said. The holding of KRTI in East Kalimantan is also expected to encourage broader participation from young talent in eastern Indonesia.
By serving as host of KRTI 2026, ITK reaffirms its commitment to fostering the development of high-quality human resources in technology and strengthening the national research and innovation ecosystem. The move simultaneously reinforces IKN’s position as a future hub of innovation and technology for the nation, in line with the overarching vision of relocating the national capital to East Kalimantan. The event is further hoped to serve as a catalyst for cultivating a culture of research and engineering among Indonesia’s younger generation. (**)
(Source: itk.ac.id)
