UNS – The Agrotechnology students from the Faculty of Agriculture (FP), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, have successfully achieved an outstanding accomplishment at the 2025 Pendidikan Karya (Pendikar) competition. The team, named Empuk Person, attained this achievement through the Startup Innovation category. This national-level competition was held virtually by the Department of Career and Entrepreneurship Development, Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Vocational School, Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), from April 2 to June 1, 2025.
The Empuk Person team won second place in the Startup Innovation category, one of five competitions contested in Pendikar 2025. The team consisted of three Agrotechnology students: Neva Shevanya Raya, Navi Atullaily Yarsiska, and Radina Trikurniaini Sutigno. Since all team members came from the same academic background, they chose the environmental subtheme, which was considered the most relevant to their field of study.
Beli-Mbing: A Multifunctional Eco-Friendly Soap
This subtheme focused on strategies for reducing carbon footprints and utilizing environmentally friendly technology as a solution for sustainability. “This subtheme focused on strategies for reducing carbon footprints and utilizing environmentally friendly technology as a solution for sustainability,” said Neva, the team leader, in an interview with uns.ac.id on Tuesday (8/7/2025).
Based on this idea, the Empuk Person team developed a multifunctional soap from the cucumber tree (Averrhoa bilimbi), called Beli-Mbing. This product can be used to wash clothes, dishes, and hands. Through these various functions, Beli-Mbing emerges as a practical yet environmentally friendly solution.
Carrying the tagline “One Product, Three Solutions, Zero Pollution,” the Empuk Person team hopes that Beli-Mbing can make a tangible contribution to reducing domestic waste that pollutes water. In addition, the product is expected to have significantly lower carbon footprints. The product is designed without harmful ingredients such as SLS, making it safer for the environment. This innovation reflects their contribution to water resource conservation and sustainable development.
Strategic Planning and Effective Coordination
Neva, the team leader, revealed that the Empuk Person team discovered the Pendikar 2025 competition through Instagram. The number of Twibbon posts from other participants encouraged them to explore Pendikar IPB’s official account. After reading the competition guidelines, they registered for the Startup Innovation category.
To manage the work effectively, the team leader prepared a worksheet containing a work schedule, division of tasks among members, and progress tracking. This plan proved very helpful, especially since the time required to complete the proposal video was tight. Nevertheless, their team completed all stages of the competition smoothly through effective coordination.
During the competition, their team received valuable insights from mentors provided by the organizers. The guidance was technical and broadened their knowledge of the business world. Through this competition, students from a non-business background learned to create business models, analyze markets, manage finances, and design prototypes in a structured manner.
In completing their project, the Empuk Person team first conducted brainstorming sessions to determine the direction and concept of the innovation. This activity helped them improve critical thinking skills and build respectful communication among members. The team also implemented a clear division of roles, with a CEO as the leader, a CFO responsible for finance, and a CMO handling marketing strategies.
Stepping Forward with Courage
After joining Pendikar, the Empuk Person team plans to remain active in similar competitions, such as the Business Plan category, closely related to Startup Innovation. Furthermore, they believe the courage to step forward matters more than waiting for fear to disappear. They always hold the principle to feel the fear and do it anyway, because that is how true courage takes root.
Innovation as a Contribution to Sustainable Development
This achievement proves that UNS students can compete nationally with creative and solution-oriented ideas. Through innovative works such as Beli-Mbing, they demonstrate their tangible contribution to sustainable development. Therefore, UNS encourages its students to actively contribute to various strategic fields according to their interests and competencies. The university has warmly welcomed the success of the Empuk Person team as motivation for other students to keep innovating and achieving.
Humas UNS
