PADANG, Sept 1 – The Centre for Advanced Composite Materials (CACM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), participated in a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the Nanocellulose Project under Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), held at Universitas Andalas (UNAND), Padang. The session was part of the Kuliah Umum and FGD activities organised by the Pusat Kolaborasi Riset (PKR) Nanoselulosa.
The CACM delegation travelled in two groups: one subgroup, already based at ITEBA Batam, departed directly from Batam Airport, while the other began their journey from Putri Harbour, Johor, before joining the team at Batam Airport en route to Padang.
The event opened with a keynote address by Prof. Dr-Ing. Hairul Abral, Head of PKR Nanoselulosa at UNAND, followed by welcoming remarks from Prof. Dr. Is Prima Nanda, S.T., M.T., Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Andalas. He highlighted UNAND’s legacy as the first university established outside Java in 1956 and the 40th anniversary of its Faculty of Engineering.
The plenary session featured a presentation of BRIN’s recommendation document on biomass and bioproducts by Prof. Dr. Akbar Hanif Dawam A., M.T., Head of BRIN’s Biomass and Bioproduct Research Center. Invited lectures followed, including Prof. Dr. Mohd Yazid Yahya, Director of CACM UTM, who introduced CACM’s latest research activities. He was joined by Dr. Mohd Nurazzi Norizan (Universiti Sains Malaysia) and Dr. Ahmad Ilyas Rushdan(UTM), who shared insights on advanced material applications.
The FGD, titled “Future Materials for Advanced Engineering Applications”, was hosted by Prof. Nanang Masruchin, ST., MT., Ph.D. and served as a dynamic platform for exchanging knowledge on recent advancements in nanocellulose research. Notably, most of the targets set in 2022 have already been achieved, reflecting strong collaborative momentum. Delegates actively shared updates on ongoing projects, milestones since the establishment of PKR Nanoselulosa, and the growing potential of nanocellulose as a sustainable material for advanced engineering applications.
Looking ahead, BRIN emphasized that the next phase will focus on strengthening industrial linkages, accelerating technology transfer, and expanding international collaboration in nanocellulose research to further support advanced engineering applications.
