Applied research has once again brought national recognition to Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). Dr. Sri Rahayoe, a lecturer in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology (FTP UGM), received the Bronze Winner award at the 2025 Diktisaintek Awards. The award was conferred in the category of Simple Patents Implemented by the community under the Research and Development Downstreaming Award scheme. This achievement highlights UGM’s commitment to promoting research oriented toward tangible benefits for society.
The award stems from research developed by Dr. Rahayoe in food processing technology. Her research focuses on developing equipment and machinery for producing soft palm sugar (gula semut) from palm sap for small- and medium-scale industries.
Commonly known as Yayuk, she explained that gula semut production processes still largely rely on manual methods with limited process control.
“The research that led me to receive the 2025 Diktisaintek Award focuses on food processing technology, particularly equipment and machinery for producing gula semut from palm sap for small- and medium-scale industries,” she said.
The gula semut production process involves a lengthy series of stages, ranging from sap cooking to crystallization and drying. The evaporation and crystallization stages are the most critical because they are highly influenced by raw material quality and temperature stability.
Dr. Yayuk noted that uncontrolled processes often result in products of inconsistent quality.
“The main challenges in conventional gula semut processing are maintaining product quality, quantity, and production continuity, as the processes are still manual and unmeasured,” she explained.
In response to these field challenges, she and her research team developed innovative prototypes, including an evaporator and a rotary crystallizer.
She explained that both devices were designed to facilitate temperature control, manage processing time, and improve ease of operation for business operators. These innovations were subsequently registered as simple patents.
“The innovations developed include a prototype evaporator with mechanical stirring and temperature control, as well as a prototype rotary crystallizer for gula semut processing,” Dr. Yayuk said.
The development of these innovations followed a systematic process that involved users from the outset. The process began with identifying on-site needs, followed by conceptual design and prototype development.
Performance testing was conducted in the laboratory and continued with field trials at partner locations.
“We refined the design based on test data, covering aspects such as temperature stability, processing time, and occupational safety,” she explained.
During the downstreaming process, challenges emerged from various aspects. Yayuk noted that variations in palm sap quality as the raw material significantly affect production consistency.
At the same time, technology adoption by micro, small, and medium enterprises requires equipment that is easy to use and compatible with existing work practices.
“The most crucial challenge is ensuring that the developed technology is easy to operate, easy to maintain, and sustainable for long-term use,” she said.
Community involvement proved to be a key factor in ensuring that the innovation could be practically applied. Gula semut producers were engaged from the early stages through needs assessments and observations of production processes.
This approach resulted in equipment that better matched users’ daily working conditions.
“The tools ultimately used by the community are the result of co-creation between data-driven research and users’ practical experience,” she added.
For Dr. Yayuk, the award reflects the research direction she has pursued thus far. The achievement demonstrates that applied research plays a vital role in improving product quality and enhancing business competitiveness.
At the faculty level, the award strengthens the position of applied research as a bridge between the university and the community.
“This award is a reminder that research with real impact holds tremendous value,” she said.
Looking ahead, future research will focus on integrating production lines to improve efficiency and ease of adoption. Strengthening process monitoring and control systems will also remain a priority to maintain consistent product quality.
In addition, collaboration with manufacturing industries and gula semut producers will be expanded.
“Start research from real-world problems and involve users from the beginning so that innovations can develop sustainably,” Dr. Yayuk concluded.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photograph: Dr. Sri Rahayoe