UGM has established cooperation with Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics agency (BMKG), National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), and PT Industri Telekomunikasi Indonesia (PT INTI) to develop airport weather observation system.
This is marked with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday (13/9) in Multimedia room of UGM Main Office.
“In Indonesia there are many transportation accidents that relate to weather case. Therefore, this tool became very important because technology can help prevent such accidents,” said Chairman of KNKT, Dr. Soerjanto Tjahjono.
Scope of the agreement include research and development of airport weather observation tool systems as well as testing and certification of such technology by the BMKG together with KNKT. While PT INTI is responsible for the production, marketing, installation as well as after-sales services.
Head of BMKG, Prof. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, Msc., Ph.D., said this cooperation was the realisation of the triple helix agreement between academics, government, and business players.
In her views, air transportation, was a means that supports connectivity between Indonesian regions. This cooperation is expected to be an effort to support the unity of Indonesia as a nation.
“As a maritime country, connectivity through aviation becomes an effort to unite the nation and reduce development gap between regions. So, the MoU has to be soon implemented for enactment at Indonesian airports,” she said.
She mentioned that the technology required in aviation, which is automatic weather observation system, can record weather conditions in the runway to a 100% accuracy. This needs to be developed by domestic industry to reduce costs and allow easy repairs if damaged. Besides, technology development by domestic industry is an effort to realise national independence by maximising resource potential.
Meanwhile, Business Director of PT INTI, Ir. Teguh Adi Suryandono, said, “We’re ready for the cooperation to explore domestic technological potential to meet our own needs. We hope these all would benefit the society, in the short term for the aviation safety and for the long term for national independence.”
Furthermore, Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M.Eng., D.Eng., signed a Memorandum of Understanding between UGM and Sukamara as well as Rokan Hulu regency governments. The MoU contains cooperation in quality education improvement, research, and community service with both regions.
“We welcome the cooperation and we hope this and the synergy between us can benefit the progress of Indonesia to advance faster and to achieve the national welfare,” said the Rector.