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> News > USU Supports Start-Ups Driving Low-Carbon Economy and Clean Technology Innovation

USU Supports Start-Ups Driving Low-Carbon Economy and Clean Technology Innovation

Published At

26 August 2024

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As Indonesia moves toward a national target of achieving a 23 percent renewable‑energy mix by 2030, USU’s integrated strategy—linking research, innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship—positions the university as a key academic driver of the energy transition.

Medan, (August 26, 2024) — In an era defined by the urgency of climate action, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) is positioning itself at the frontline of Indonesia’s green transformation by nurturing start-ups that turn scientific breakthroughs into sustainable business models. Through the combined efforts of the USU SDGs Center, the Faculty of Engineering, the Business & Product Research Incubator (BPRI-USU), and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Directorate, the university is building an innovation ecosystem where ideas do not stop at the laboratory bench, but grow into ventures in renewable energy, waste valorisation, and low-emission technologies. This institutional synergy reflects a deliberate strategy: to ensure that research, industry collaboration, and community impact move in the same direction—towards a low‑carbon, inclusive economy.

USU’s programmes are explicitly aligned with Indonesia’s Energy Transition Roadmap and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Sustainability is not treated as a stand‑alone agenda, but embedded into research priorities, teaching activities, and enterprise development. As a result, the university is not only producing graduates with technical expertise, but also cultivating a new generation of green innovators capable of strengthening the foundations of a regional green economy in North Sumatra and beyond.

Across USU’s laboratories, clean‑technology ideas are increasingly being shaped into prototypes that can be scaled into real‑world solutions. Researchers and students collaborate on E‑Bio Fuel, a bio‑energy innovation developed by the Faculty of Engineering that converts agricultural waste into alternative fuel through biomass pyrolysis. Other teams design picohydro power systems—small‑scale renewable generators that can power rural communities and enhance agricultural productivity along remote waterways. On campus itself, smart building automation systems integrate Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence to optimise lighting, air circulation, and electricity use across 83,988 square metres of university buildings, turning USU into one of Indonesia’s notable “living laboratories” for sustainable architecture and energy efficiency. Through collaborations with government agencies, industries, and private‑sector partners, these technologies are gradually being pushed out of the lab and into the market, with start‑ups incorporating clean solutions into agricultural value chains, building management, and decentralised power systems.

At the centre of this transformation is the Business & Product Research Incubator, or BPRI‑USU, the university’s strategic unit mandated to coordinate innovation management, technology transfer, and the development of lecturer‑led innovations into start‑up products. BPRI‑USU offers structured assistance to start‑ups that advance a low‑carbon economy, guiding promising ideas through each stage of the innovation pipeline—from prototype development and pilot testing to market‑readiness and early‑stage growth. In 2024, the institution recorded more than fifteen sustainability‑related start‑ups, several of which directly support low‑carbon technologies and circular solutions. These include Tescla, which develops renewable micro‑generation technologies; Resikoma, which focuses on smart photovoltaic‑based waste‑to‑energy systems; Efoks, which designs biodegradable packaging to replace conventional plastics; BCoWrap, which produces reusable beeswax food wraps to reduce single‑use plastic; and SDUWT, which offers sensor‑based wastewater treatment technology. Together, these ventures illustrate how USU’s innovation ecosystem connects engineering research, environmental stewardship, and entrepreneurial practice in a coherent, mutually reinforcing way.

BPRI‑USU does not act alone. Working closely with the USU Innovation and Business Incubator (Inbis USU), the incubator coordinates research commercialisation, intellectual‑property management, and start‑up acceleration. Student‑ and faculty‑led ventures receive mentorship from academics and industry practitioners, support for product prototyping and market validation, and access to green‑financing opportunities. Sustainability is framed as a core business value rather than a marketing label: founding teams are encouraged to quantify how their products reduce emissions, improve resource efficiency, or generate social benefits for communities. In this way, business models are evaluated not only on financial returns, but also on their contribution to climate resilience and just development.

USU’s start‑up ecosystem is further sustained by an integrated innovation environment that links science, entrepreneurship, and community empowerment. The university’s Circularity Centre and Integrated Waste Processing Site function as demonstration facilities where waste is transformed into energy and reusable materials, giving start‑ups real‑world laboratories in which to test and refine their technologies. For example, waste‑to‑energy concepts can be trialled using actual campus waste streams, while packaging innovations can be evaluated in real supply chains connected to the university’s procurement and service operations. These facilities embody USU’s belief that an effective green economy must be grounded in practice, not just theory.

Strategic partnerships significantly amplify this work. Collaborations with USAID, the North Sumatra Provincial Government, and industrial stakeholders have expanded the scope of applied research in clean energy, resource efficiency, and waste‑to‑energy technologies. In 2024, USU joined the UI Net Zero Initiative, a consortium of eleven Indonesian universities committed to research collaboration on energy transition and green finance. Membership in this network gives USU‑based start‑ups access to wider knowledge communities, comparative experiences from other campuses, and potential partners for pilot projects and joint ventures. These linkages help ensure that innovations born at USU are informed by national and global trends and can be scaled beyond regional boundaries.

At the heart of USU’s model is a clear conviction that economic progress must be both sustainable and inclusive. Through accelerator programmes and entrepreneurial training, USU and BPRI‑USU equip young innovators with the skills and mindset to design ventures that combine commercial viability with measurable climate and social benefits. Emerging enterprises in fields such as solar‑powered transport, biodegradable packaging, carbon‑tracking software, and community‑scale energy systems demonstrate this integrated approach. These start‑ups have privileged access to the university’s own renewable‑energy assets—which currently generate around 1.85 percent of total campus electricity from solar, wind, and hydropower—as testing grounds. By piloting their solutions in a live but controlled environment, founders can refine technologies and business models before entering larger markets, while the campus itself benefits from continuous improvement in its green infrastructure.

As Indonesia moves toward a national target of achieving a 23 percent renewable‑energy mix by 2030, USU’s integrated strategy—linking research, innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship—positions the university as a key academic driver of the energy transition. This approach is anchored in Rector’s Circular No. 1 of 2023 on the Green Campus and Carbon Neutrality 2029, which envisions universities not only as consumers of energy and knowledge, but as catalysts for sustainable economic systems. By aligning the creativity of its students, the expertise of its researchers, and the structured support of BPRI‑USU, Universitas Sumatera Utara is showing how an academic institution can power the next generation of low‑carbon start‑ups and turn knowledge into concrete solutions for a cleaner, more resilient, and more equitable Indonesia.

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