Recognizing the vital role and maritime strength of Indonesia and the world, the Faculty of Marine Technology (FTK) at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) once again hosted the National Seminar on Marine Technology and Application (SENTA) as a step to explore marine technology development ideas. Unlike previous years, this international-scale seminar was held online on Tuesday (8/12) due to the global situation.

The Organizing Chairman of SENTA 2020, Prof. Ir. I Ketut Aria Pria Utama MSc PhD, revealed that this annual seminar carried the theme “Transformation from Archipelagic into Maritime States for Prosperous Indonesia”. According to him, this theme aligns with the government’s program to establish Indonesia as a global maritime axis and serves as an effort to boost economic activities and prosperity derived from the ocean.

Since its inception in 2001, SENTA has seen continuous participation from various countries. This year, delegates participated from the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. In addition, three new countries joined the SENTA 2020 event: Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Nigeria. “We appreciate the increasing number of delegates from other countries, considering SENTA 2020 is held entirely online,” Aria stated.

Aria further elaborated that the topics discussed in SENTA 2020 consisted of eight distinct areas. These included Naval Architecture, aimed at producing efficient ship designs and hydrodynamics; Ship Production and Material Technology for economical ship production; Marine Robotics and Digital Ship Technology; and Marine and Safety Engineering to provide effective ship machinery and systems. The seminar also covered Marine Renewable Energy, Offshore and Coastal Engineering for sustainable coastal resource management, Shipping Port and Maritime Logistics, and Maritime Education and Training.

Across these eight topics, more than 81 papers were collected and processed through Scopus-indexed IOP proceedings, ready to be presented. The participants’ enthusiasm to join SENTA 2020 was incredibly high. This was evident as local papers from graduate students and lecturers, which had not yet gone through the full review process, were still permitted to present. “You could say the enthusiasm for participating in this research seminar exceeded our expectations,” he added.

In addition to the paper presentations, SENTA 2020 also hosted webinars inviting several expert speakers. They included the President of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI), Prof. Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro; Prof. Mehmet Atlar from the University of Strathclyde; Prof. Jeom-Kee Paik from Pusan National University; and Prof. Jason Monty from the University of Melbourne.

Opening SENTA 2020, the Dean of FTK ITS, Dr. Eng. Trika Pitana ST MSc, argued that this seminar plays a significant role in the scientific development of all departments within FTK ITS. “We hope this seminar will increase the spirit of conducting research, publishing, and collaborating among researchers from various countries,” he explained. In line with this, the Rector of ITS, Prof. Dr. Ir. Mochamad Ashari MEng, also appreciated SENTA 2020 as a gathering place for various discoveries in the field of marine science.