Global Polycrisis Pushes Urgent Shift to Sustainable Transportation

RRI.CO.ID, Tangerang Selatan – Indonesia is positioning itself as a pivotal hub for South-South and global collaboration amidst the admitted interconnected global crises. The first day of the 13th International Conference on Sustainable Energy Engineering and Applications (ICSEEA 2026), Indonesian government officials warned that national economic survival now depends on the immediate integration of resilient infrastructure and clean energy.

The event was held in South Tangerang on Tuesday, 3 February 2026. Addressing a delegation of experts from 10 countries, including the UK, South Korea, Japan, and the Netherlands, the Head of Research Organization for Energy and Manufacturing of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cuk Supriyadi Ali Nandar, delivered an assessment of the current global landscape.

“Climate change, energy insecurity, inflation, corruption, and geopolitical uncertainty are no longer a prediction. They are a reality that directly affects national resilience and economic development,” Nandar conveyed.

The conference, themed "Resilient Transportation and Clean Energy: Shaping the Future of Sustainable Systems," highlights three topics. First, resiliency upgrade for transportation and supporting infrastructure. Second, innovation in hydrogen, electrification, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Lastly, optimization of energy grids and reducing carbon emissions.

The conference also serves as a bridge between BRIN and three Indonesian ministries, namely Energy and Mineral Resources, Industry, and Transportation.

“In this context, ICSEEA 2026 has grown into a vital platform for connecting the scientific, industrial, and governmental communities,” Nandar noted. He also highlighted that innovation must be "socialized" through regulation to be effective.

Chairperson of ICSEEA 2026 Conference, Ludfi Pratiwi Bowo, reported that of the 176 full papers submitted this year, the focus remains heavily on energy (80 papers), followed closely by transportation and manufacturing. This distribution reflects a global trend where mobility and industrial output must be decoupled from carbon-intensive energy sources to remain competitive in a greening global market.

With participants from nations as diverse as Oman, Grenada, and China, the event underscores that the transition to sustainable systems is collaborative effort internationally. “The future of sustainable systems will not be built by one institution, one state, or one country,”  Bowo stated. “It will be built by our shared commitment to work together.”

In the official press release on Monday, the Head of BRIN, Arif Satria, stated that scientific forums like ICSEEA 2026 play a role in bridging the gap between research, industry, and policymakers to accelerate the commercialization of innovation. He noted that the goal is to ensure that these technological advancements reach full-scale implementation, delivering tangible economic and social benefits for the Indonesian people.