SheConnect Champion Kicks Off at ITB Innovation Park, Indosat Encourages Women to Become Digital Innovators

Bandung, dkst.itb.ac.id – On Tuesday (May 27), the new innovation area belonging to the Bandung Institute of Technology, ITB Innovation Park in the Summarecon Bandung Area, became the starting point for the SheConnect Champion 2025 national series. This agenda is a women's empowerment initiative in the field of technology and digital entrepreneurship initiated by Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison. This event marks a new chapter of women's involvement in the country's technology landscape and reflects the close synergy among the worlds of education, industry, and government.

Bandung, known as a creative city and technology hub in West Java, had the honor of being the first city to host this event. This activity serves as a tangible platform for young women to become main actors in digital innovation.

SheConnect Champion is part of the national SheHacks 2025 program, which aims to encourage women not only to be users of technology but also as creators, innovators, and leaders in the era of digital transformation. In Bandung, out of more than 50 applicants, 10 young female finalists were selected to present technology-based solutions addressing various social and economic challenges.

The opening ceremony took place festively at the ITB Innovation Park, featuring representatives from academia, industry, and government. In his remarks, Chandra Pradyot Singh, EVP Head of Circle Jakarta Raya Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, emphasized the importance of access and space for women. “Digital transformation will not be fair if women are not also empowered. Through SheConnect, we want to create a space where women's ideas, leadership, and potential can grow and develop,” he said.

This initiative is designed as a sustainable ecosystem. The finalists receive mentoring, access to industry networks, as well as further funding and incubation opportunities.

Triple Helix Collaboration at ITB Innovation Park

SheConnect Champion 2025 serves as proof that cross-sector collaboration, better known as the triple helix (academia, business, and government), is not merely a concept. The Directorate of Science and Technology Area (DKST) ITB, hosting the event through the ITB Innovation Park, demonstrates its capacity to bridge academic research with the industrial world and community needs.

Prof. Dr. apt. Elfahmi, Director of Research and Innovation at ITB, stated that an event like this aligns perfectly with DKST's mandate to encourage the transformation of campus innovation into concrete public solutions. “SheConnect Champion serves as a space for actualizing the innovative ideas of young women, as well as a reflection of collective work in creating an inclusive and sustainable innovation ecosystem.”

As the program facilitator, DKST ITB also provides advanced access in the form of innovation mentoring, incubation opportunities, and even connections to investors through its national and international networks.

Out of the ten competing finalists, the startup Habibi Garden emerged as the winner. Founded and led by young women from Bandung, Habibi Garden develops an Internet of Things (IoT)-based agricultural system to improve irrigation efficiency and the productivity of small to medium-scale farmlands.

Using sensors and artificial intelligence, this system provides real-time data to farmers regarding plant water needs and triggers automated irrigation when required. This startup also developed a companion application named Kelana AI to assist with data-driven decision-making.

This victory not only proves that women can compete in the high-tech sector but also shows that innovation can grow from local roots and make a massive impact.

The Bandung City Government positively welcomed the presence of SheConnect Champion. Through the Manpower Office (Disnaker), the City of Bandung reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing women's capacity in the digital and entrepreneurial sectors.

Andri Darusman, Head of Disnaker Bandung City, stated that activities like this are highly aligned with the regional government's efforts to encourage the improvement of women's competencies and economic independence. “SheConnect Champion is a good example of how collaboration can open fair access. We want the women of Bandung to have a place in the future economic sector,” said Andri.

ITB Innovation Park and DKST: A New Asset for Bandung City

The presence of the ITB Innovation Park in the Summarecon Bandung Area is a tangible manifestation of ITB's transformation as a world-class research university that favors community solutions. This facility is designed as a center for innovation integration, applied research, startup incubation, and multi-sector collaboration.

The presence of SheConnect Champion enriches the program landscape at the Innovation Park, while also reinforcing Bandung as one of the epicenters for women's innovation in Indonesia. By opening doors, providing space, and offering concrete support, women are no longer just sitting in the audience during the digital revolution; they now have the opportunity to lead the stage.