BASF Indonesia and Prestasi Junior Indonesia Empower Youth Innovation with the National Innovation Challenge finals, the culmination of Young Voices for a Sustainable Future programme
National Innovation Challenge finals sees Team Gen V from SMAN 21 Jakarta emerging as winners from a pool of 20 teams from 16 high schools across Greater Jakarta
Top ten finalist teams presented sustainable ideas to judging panel during finals to promote climate action, the circular economy, renewable energy, and digital solutions
Jakarta, October 1, 2026 – 50 students representing ten finalist teams gathered for the National Innovation Challenge finals, held today at the BASF Indonesia office in Jakarta to present their creative solutions addressing environmental and social challenges in Indonesia. The competition marked the culmination of Young Voices for a Sustainable Future – Innovation Challenge for a Just Transition, a collaborative program by BASF Indonesia and Prestasi Junior Indonesia that has started with a total of 100 students from 20 teams representing 16 high schools across Greater Jakarta since April 2026.
Drawing on issues they identified in their schools and communities, the students explored diverse ideas and approaches to address food waste, textile and organic refuse, environmental pollution, limited access to clean water, and the need for alternative energy sources. Using a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) approach, these motivated students transformed various challenges into various solutions, ranging from innovative products, technology-driven devices, and digital platforms designed to positively impact their communities and the environment.
During the National Innovation Challenge, each team presented the problem it aimed to solve, the concept and benefits of its solution, its target users, and its prototype development plan to a panel of judges comprising representatives from the business and education sectors, as well as sustainability practitioners. Participants also received strategic feedback from these judges to refine their ideas and increase their potential for real-world application.
The finalists’ innovations addressed six key themes: Climate Action, Water and Sanitation, Responsible Consumption, Circular Economy and Waste Reduction, Sustainable Energy, and Digital Solutions for Sustainability. The proposed solutions included upcycling discarded materials into value-added products, implementing technologies to support water and energy management, and applying artificial intelligence, sensors, digital applications, and data analysis to encourage more environmentally-conscious lifestyles.
“This program gives students the opportunity to turn knowledge into meaningful action that contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. By identifying problems and developing solutions, students strengthen their critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills. These learning experiences align with the deep learning approach promoted by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to develop the eight dimensions of the graduate profile,” said Rurry Fatchurrachman, Head of the Student Affairs Sub-Team, Directorate of Senior High Schools, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education of the Republic of Indonesia.
“The transition to a more sustainable economy requires more than technological progress. We also need a generation of young people who can understand the challenges around them, identify opportunities to create value, and develop solutions that are relevant and beneficial to society. Through Young Voices for a Sustainable Future, forward-thinking students have demonstrated that innovation can start by adressing everyday challenges, which can then grow into ideas that create meaningful impact through research, creativity, and collaboration. We must continue to nurture and develop this potential amongst our youth to help build a more inclusive and sustainable future,” said Dr. Christofer Arisandy, President Director of BASF Indonesia.
Young Voices for a Sustainable Future was designed as an intensive learning experience that helps students deepen their understanding of sustainability while learning how to develop practical solutions. Using a design thinking approach, participants are encouraged to observe their surroundings, identify stakeholders affected by each issue, and define the specific problems they wanted to address.The students then worked in teams to conduct research, develop concepts, and prepare innovation proposals. Throughout the process, participants received feedback from BASF mentors to sharpen their problem statements, ensure their proposed solutions addressed community needs, identify target users, and plan the development of their prototypes.
Beyond developing innovations, this program also helped the participants learn how to structure and communicate their ideas clearly and persuasively. Through this process, they strengthened skills in critical thinking, creativity, communication, teamwork, research, and problem-solving. These capabilities will support their continued education and future careers.
“Young people need more than information about environmental challenges. They need opportunities to understand the causes of these problems, explore different ideas, work with others, receive feedback, and improve the solutions they develop. This experience shows students that what they learn at school can be applied to real community needs. It also helps them build the skills and confidence they need for the future,” said Utami Anita Herawati, Executive Director of Prestasi Junior Indonesia.
Based on the judges’ assessment, Team Gen V from SMAN 21 Jakarta was named the winner of the National Innovation Challenge. “The idea for O2H: Atmospheric Water Harvesting System grew out of our concern for households and communities with limited access to clean water, particularly during the dry season. This inspired us to develop a compact device that turns moisture in the air into clean water through filtration and sterilization. Winning this challenge motivates us to keep learning and further improve our innovation so that it can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” said Muhammad Rizqi Sugianto, representing Team Gen V from SMAN 21 Jakarta.
Through Young Voices for a Sustainable Future, BASF and Prestasi Junior Indonesia aim to equip young people not only to understand today’s sustainability challenges but also to become part of the solution. The program shows that change can begin close to home when young people are given the opportunity to recognize the issues around them, understand community needs, and develop innovative, inclusive, and sustainable solutions.
About BASF Indonesia
BASF has been investing in Indonesia since 1976. Today, BASF solutions contribute to the success of its customers in Indonesia in nearly all industries, including agriculture, food, home & personal care, automotive, paints and coatings and chemicals. The head office of BASF in Indonesia is locatedin Jakarta, with production sites in Cengkareng, Cimanggis and Merak – all of which are halal certified. In 2025, BASF posted sales of approximately €486 million to customers in Indonesia and employed 456 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF in Indonesia is available at www.basf.com/id.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 95,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €60 billion in 2025. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.
About Prestasi Junior Indonesia
Prestasi Junior Indonesia (PJI; Yayasan Prestasi Junior Gemilang Indonesia) is part of one of the world’s largest youth-serving NGOs, Junior Achievement Worldwide, that focuses on preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship. We create pathways for employability, job creation, and financial success by delivering hands-on, immersive learning in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, work readiness, sustainability, STEM, economics, citizenship, ethics, and more. Benefiting more than 3 million young people (including students, university students, youth in communities, and young entrepreneurs) since 2006, Prestasi Junior Indonesia is one of the few organizations possessing the scale, experience, and network to forge a brighter future for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, decision-makers, and managers in the country. Over the last six years, Prestasi Junior Indonesia, and the JA network, have been recognized as one of the ten most impactful social-good organizations in the world (ranked 5th in 2024) by the Geneva-based thedotgood. For further information please access: www.prestasijunior.org