The Master of Biomedical Engineering (BME) Program at the Graduate School (SPs) of Universitas Gadjah Mada held a seminar titled “The Role of Biomedical Engineering in the Development of National Medical Devices” on Tuesday, August 26th 2025. The event took place in Meeting Room A, 5th Floor, SPs UGM Building, and was attended by students, alumni, and members of the academic community who are concerned with the development of medical devices in Indonesia.
The aim of this event was to provide insights into the importance of biomedical engineering as a multidisciplinary field in the development of national medical devices. It was also equipping new students with practical knowledge and inspiration to contribute to the field.
The seminar featured four speakers Dr. dr. Nahar Taufiq, Sp.JP(K) from the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FKKMK UGM), and an alumnus of SPs UGM. He presented material on “Clinical Needs and Challenges in the Development of Medical Devices in Indonesia.”
Ir. I Gusti Bagus Budi Dharma, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D., IPM., ASEAN Eng, a lecturer in BME from the Faculty of Engineering UGM, delivered a presentation titled “Innovation in Design and Manufacturing for Medical Device Development.”
drg. Heriberus Dedy Kusuma Yuliatno, M. Bitech., Ph.D, presented on “Surface Coating Technology for Improving Biomaterial Quality.”
Dr. drh. Dinar Aifianto, M.Sc, from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FKH), and a member of the BME research team, spoke on “Animal Models in Research for Medical Device Development.”
The discussion was moderated by Prof. Dr. drg. Widowati Siswomihardjo, M.Sc., one of the pioneers in establishing the BME study program.
Dean of the Graduate School UGM, Prof. Ir. Siti Malkhamah, M.Sc., Ph.D., in her opening remarks, stated the need for medical devices in Indonesia is very high and must be tailored to the specific characteristics of the Indonesian population. She also expressed hope that events like this would inspire the creation of more medical devices and related research.
The development of medical devices in Indonesia is considered crucial due to the challenges of improving public health quality while reducing dependence on imported products.
The interdisciplinary collaboration offered by biomedical engineering is expected for high-competitiveness innovations to be produced, accelerating the realization of national self-reliance in medical technology.
The Master of Biomedical Engineering Program at SPs UGM, through this seminar, hopes that students and alumni will be better prepared to take an active role in advancing medical device research and innovation from upstream to downstream. This represents UGM’s concrete step in supporting the national vision of achieving independence in health technology.
Author: Arni W