Blung,dkst.itb.ac.id-On Friday (16 / 5) on the 9th floor of ITB Innovation Park in Summarecon Bandung region became a gathering place for many great ideas born of talented young hands. That day became the pinnacle of the Smart City Solutions Startup Competition 2025, a joint initiative executed by the Smart City & Community Innovation Center (SCCIC) ITIC, working with the Islamic World Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISEISION) and supported by the Directorate of Science and Technology (ITST) ITB.
This competition is not just about finding a winner. It's a growing space for innovators to study, share and build networks. Starting at the end of last year, this competition has managed to net 48 startup of various categories. After a strict selection process, bootcamp, and mentoring, 15 of the best teams perform in the final pitching session.
The final series is held by hybrids, with more than 100 participants present. In addition to pitching sessions, events are also filled with theatrical workshops, discussion sessions, and informal meetings that allow new collaboration to be created even outside the main stage.
Collaborate for Future City
The morning begins with a welcome from the doctor. Fadhil Hidayat, S.Kom., M.T. (SCIC), that delivers how cross-sector collaboration; academics, governments, industries and communities, are the key key to building adaptive smart city ecosystems.
Dr. Juhana, S.T., M.T., as Dean of STI ITB, confirmed the importance of college role in opening an experimental space for young innovators. A welcome also delivered by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sharif of the ICESCO, who officially opened the event with an invitation to strengthen the network of Islamic innovation through an applied technological solution.
As units are focusing on the development of innovation and technology areas, the DKST facilitates physical and institutional ecosystems that allow the startup to expand further. This collaboration presents real space to accelerate idea implementation, from incubation to commercial stages.
In the pitching session that's been going on since 10: 00, the finalists show how their ideas are not only interesting on paper, they can also be applied in the field.
Some teams stand out because of the acumen analysis of problems and the way they answer them with practical approaches but have a huge impact.
Curaweda, for example, dazzle the jury with an AI-based digital platform that lifts local cultural and historical stories through technology. Their approach is not just about preserving cultural heritage, but also about opening up new economic paths through the tourism sector. At that achievement, Curaweda was crowned first place, and received an award for Rp30 million.
Encoteki comes up with a creative idea that combines the NFT and environmental missions. They created a token system associated with the protection of rare Indonesian animals. This solution puts conservation in the digital context, and successfully brings them to the Second Champion with a reward of Rp20 million.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Solitude offers a concrete solution to digital platform-based garbage management that connects households, recycling workers and scavengers. They were crowned Third Champion and received an Rp10 million award.
The sales process was carried out by five judges from various academic backgrounds, industrial practitioners, and international organizations that judge based on aspects of innovation, impact, sustainability, and go-to-market strategies.
In addition to pitching sessions, the only thing that's not important in this activity is the parallel running mythical workshop. Themes such asAI for Healthcare,Smart Sensing as a Service, andSmart City Infrastructureinteractively discussed by experts from industry and academics.
This workshop gives not only technical insight, but also space for participants to ask, to discuss, to even explore the potential for further collaboration. Many participants express that these sessions provide a wider understanding of how innovation can be implemented in a real and relevant context.
By noon, the show was closed with an award session. However, the spirit brought home by the participants is not just a trophy or a gift. And even bigger, they bring new networks, new understanding, and the urge to continue their steps in the world of innovation.
For the DKST ITB, this competition became part of a long-term effort to build a national innovation ecosystem connected to the international world. Through the support of ICESCO, some winners also get the opportunity to perform in international events in Pakistan, representing Indonesia on the Islamic startup stage.
