Communication between researchers in Indonesia and researchers from other countries is important, especially Australia, which is a friendly country and close neighbour of Indonesia. The government, in this case, the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, continues to encourage and facilitate a culture of research and collaboration to advance Indonesia.
The forum aims to facilitate communication between Indonesian and Australian researchers in the same field so that collaboration can continue. This forum is important so that Australian and Indonesian researchers can find out about each other’s research developments, and then it is hoped that they can communicate and work together to conduct joint research.
The topic raised is important in Australia and Indonesia, namely the application of 3D printing technology in the construction industry. Indonesia and Australia have different climates, so the application of this technology to make buildings certainly have different challenges, and this is an interesting topic for joint research between Australian and Indonesian researchers.
This forum can encourage the transfer of knowledge and technology so that research in Indonesia can develop rapidly and Indonesia can be on par with Australia in the field of science and technology. One of the lecturers and researchers in the field of civil engineering brought the topic “3D Printing in Construction, Advances and Challenges”. 3D printing is a three-dimensional printer technology.
Researchers can make three-dimensional images on a computer and print them in three dimensions with 3D printing. This technology has been applied to build bridges and buildings in various countries, such as in the UK, Italy, China and Australia itself.
Since the 1960s the labour productivity of the construction industry has experienced a consistent decline. When the manufacturing industry has implemented digital technology, remote sensing, automation technology and robotics, most of the construction industry is still doing their work manually. So that when other sectors have entered Industry 4.0, the construction sector is still not there.
The discovery of 3D printing technology can drive the transformation of the construction industry. The use of 3D printing technology in the construction industry will increase accuracy in realising complex constructions, increase productivity, and reduce labour costs. Meanwhile, a lecturer from the University of Indonesia presented a topic entitled “3D Printing and Geopolymer Application in Indonesia”.
Geopolymer as a construction material is more sustainable than ordinary cement. Besides that, as a building material, Geopolymer has a better structure. In Indonesia itself, 3D printing technology is relatively new. On-campus, they still use it on a small scale or on a laboratory scale to make prototypes. Currently, there are start-up companies in Indonesia that have succeeded in using 3D printing technology to make type 36 landed houses.
The challenge in using 3D printing technology in Indonesia is the weather. Because the hot temperature causes the cement to dry quickly and harden. And if this happens inside the printing, it will be difficult to fix it. For this reason, it is necessary to do further research on the composition of the right material to be able to make buildings with this 3D printing technology.
As reported by OpenGov Asia, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia is keen to establish a synergy with tech companies to develop a digital ecosystem in Indonesia. Indonesia is currently accelerating digital transformation by developing an ecosystem and digital talents. To advance the growth of the digital economy, the development of digital talent is important for Indonesia which will later become one of the pillars in preparing Indonesia to become a developed nation.
The Minister of Communication and Informatics builds partnerships and collaborations to expand the reach of the internet in Indonesia. To expand the reach of the internet to make it more affordable, the ministry is looking for every possible solution and option including building partnerships and collaborating with third parties.
