Industry Gathering: Empowering Communities through Salt Research Downstreaming

On August 30, 2024, a “Temu Industri” event took place at BINUS University Anggrek Campus, organized by the Community Empowerment division. The event focused on “Community Empowerment through Salt Research Downstreaming” and featured Anwar Kurniawan, owner of PT. Anta Tirta Kirana. Kurniawan holds a patent for a method that allows salt (NaCl) production to occur independent of time, climate, and weather conditions. The event, moderated by Hendy Risdianto Wijaya, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., Technology Transfer Specialist at BINUS University, was attended by BINUS faculty members and opened with a welcoming speech by Prof. Juneman Abraham, Vice Rector of Research and Technology Transfer.

In his presentation, Anwar Kurniawan highlighted Presidential Regulation no. 126 of 2022 concerning the “Acceleration of National Salt Development,” which mandates that domestic production should meet the country’s salt demand by 2024. He stressed the importance of optimizing local production capacities to reduce dependence on imports, with research and innovation playing a crucial role in this endeavor. His company’s technology, which allows for year-round salt production, is seen as a key factor in achieving this goal.

Kurniawan identified three main areas for development: first, enhancing community engagement by training local farmers and entrepreneurs in salt production; second, improving salt pond techniques to maximize output; and third, increasing the involvement of the humanities sector to promote a cooperative culture between communities and the government. He emphasized that collaboration with the government would be essential in driving this initiative forward and ensuring sustainable community-based salt production.

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