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In his oration, Prof. Korda highlighted Indonesia's challenge in achieving its 2045 vision of becoming a developed nation. According to him, the key to this significant leap lies in mastering alloy technology as the backbone of industrialization.

“In 2045, Indonesia will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The hope is that we will stand on par with developed nations, with a comparable per capita income. However, our current income is still below USD 5,000. This is disheartening, considering our immense wealth of natural resources,” said Prof. Korda.

He asserted that to overcome this, Indonesia must undergo a structural transformation by strengthening its manufacturing sector, which is currently showing a trend of decline or deindustrialization.

Alloys as the Engine of Industrialization

Prof. Korda explained that vital sectors such as automotive, electronics, and maritime are heavily dependent on metals. Therefore, mastering specialty alloy technology is an absolute necessity. He noted that Indonesia holds a remarkable comparative advantage with its abundant reserves of nickel, bauxite, copper, tin, and rare earth metals.

“We must transform this comparative advantage into a sustainable competitive advantage. We have to be wise in utilizing our mineral resources. We cannot stop at exporting raw materials; we must be capable of downstream processing to the final stages,” he emphasized.

End-stage downstream processing, which yields ready-to-use products for the manufacturing industry, promises massive economic value and extensive job creation. "The paradigm must shift from focusing merely on what is in front of us to strategically planning for the nation's future," he added.

A Value-Added Revolution Through Metallurgical Engineering

Prof. Korda outlined the stages that can multiply the value of mineral commodities, from purification and alloying to microstructure engineering and recycling. He provided several extraordinary examples of this value-added revolution:

1. From Copper Cathode to Ship Propeller: A copper cathode, when alloyed with nickel to produce a ship propeller, sees its value increase nearly a thousandfold.
2. From Bauxite to Aircraft Frame: Smelter-grade alumina (derived from bauxite), when alloyed with copper to form an aircraft frame, can see its value soar to 2,000 USD.
3. From Nickel to Turbine Blade: By engineering the microstructure of nickel to create a jet engine turbine blade, its value skyrockets from just 5 USD to 50,000 USD—a 10,000-fold increase.

A key technology to achieve this is Tertiary Metallurgy. "A metal that is merely strong is not enough; it must also be tough," he explained. Technologies such as Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM), Electroslag Remelting (ESR), and Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) can produce defect-free, homogeneous superalloys with excellent microstructures, making them both exceptionally strong and tough.

“Steel alloys and specialty alloys are key enablers. Empirical evidence from developed nations like Japan, Germany, South Korea, and China shows they achieved their industrial status after mastering metallurgical science and alloy technology,” he added. To this end, Prof. Korda urged the implementation of the "teaching industry" concept to accelerate Indonesia's mastery of these critical technologies.

Profile of Prof. Akhmad Ardian Korda

Prof. Dr. Eng. Akhmad Ardian Korda, S.T., M.T., is a Professor in the Metallurgy Engineering Research Group, specializing in Alloy Engineering and Reliability. He completed his bachelor's and master's degrees at ITB and earned his doctorate from Nagaoka University of Technology, Japan.

Currently, he serves as the Head of the Alloy Development Laboratory, a position he has held since 2009. His dedication is reflected in his 90 scientific publications and extensive contributions to industry, including over 70 activities in mining, 35 in oil and gas, and 30 in manufacturing. One of his notable community service programs involves empowering village communities in West Java by producing high-quality hoes and machetes. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, gardening, and playing tennis.

Reporter: Chysara Rabani (Mining Engineering, 2022)