ULAANBAATAR – In an effort to expand international collaboration and make a tangible contribution to solving the global environmental crisis, Dr. Eng. Ir. Yosephus Ardean Kurnianto Prayitno, S.T., M.Eng. (familiarly known as Dr. Ade), a lecturer at the Vocational College of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), served as the Global Lead Instructor in the “Nomatech Challenge: Problem to Prototyping” event. This first-ever product development bootcamp in Mongolia was officially organized by the Gerlab Engineering Workshop, Ulaanbaatar Science and Technology Park, National University of Mongolia (NUM) from August 10 to 18, 2026, and is part of the international COP17 activities.
In this event, Dr. Ade represented FabLab Jogja, a part of the FabLab Asian Network (FAN), which is a division of the Center of Excellence (CoE) for Medical Devices and Fabrication Laboratory & Plant at the Vocational College, UGM. In accordance with his official assignment, he attended and contributed directly (offline) in Mongolia starting from the crucial preparation phase from August 6 to 14, 2026.
Specially invited due to his expertise in hands-on engineering, Dr. Ade took a central role in the first half of the program by leading the Problem to Prototype methodological approach. During his presence in Mongolia, he laid a strong technical engineering foundation for 42 young innovators from various provinces in Mongolia, as well as international students from India and Japan. Alongside other global FabLab experts, Phanuwit Rico Kanthatham (Japan) and Aniruddh Mali (India), Dr. Ade provided high-level technical mentorship in design thinking, mechanical engineering, and digital fabrication.
The mentoring process directly supervised by Dr. Ade was highly comprehensive. He led the participants into the field during the Field Research phase in Batnorov Soum, Khentii Province. Under his direction, participants were encouraged to validate environmental problems—such as land degradation, desertification, drought, and sustainable agriculture issues—through direct interaction with local stakeholders, including the Governor of Batnorov Soum, agricultural experts, and herders. Once the problems were validated in the field, he brought the teams back to the GERLAB Engineering Workshop to design functional solutions through 3D modeling, laser cutting, CNC machining, electronic assembly, and mechanical integration.
Due to other strategic agendas requiring his presence in Indonesia, Dr. Ade had to physically leave the event location after August 14. However, his contribution continued by remotely mentoring his teams, providing online troubleshooting guidance to ensure the prototypes were ready for functional testing.
The synergy between intensive training at the start of the program and remote supervision yielded sweet results. At the culminating Demo Day on August 18, 2026, his six multidisciplinary teams successfully presented their appropriate technology innovations at Tsagaadai Hall. Beyond presentations, these prototype works were also publicly exhibited at the “Science and Community” Pavilion (Booth A29) to global delegates at the UNCCD COP17 Green Zone.
The technological initiatives and mentorship led by Dr. Ade in the Nomatech Challenge directly support the achievement of several key global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:
- SDG 4 (Quality Education) & SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Achieved through the transfer of hands-on engineering knowledge, fabrication technology, and product development mentoring for 42 young innovators.
- SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) & SDG 15 (Life on Land): Realized through a tool design methodology specifically created to address drought, desertification, and restore degraded land in Mongolia.
- SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) & SDG 13 (Climate Action): Implemented through the exhibition of eco-friendly prototype innovations capable of standing out in the parallel arena of the COP17 Green Zone.
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): Strengthening tangible international synergy among UGM academics, experts from Japan and India, the National University of Mongolia (NUM), and the Global FabLab network.
Dr. Ade’s strategic involvement in this event serves as a crucial momentum to strengthen the position of FabLab Jogja UGM within the FabLab Asian Network (FAN) and the global maker ecosystem. Through this remarkable program, it is projected that opportunities for advanced research collaboration and cross-border academic exchange programs between UGM and other international institutions will open up in the future.