Surabaya - The Chairman of the East Java Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Jatim), Adik Dwi Putranto, emphasized that Kadin Jatim is committed to driving digital transformation and the adoption of Industry 5.0 technologies within the national sugar sector.

According to Adik, this initiative is key to building a modern, efficient, and sustainable sugar industry aligned with East Java’s strategic position as the largest sugar-producing province in Indonesia.

"The sugar industry must transform immediately. The use of digital technologies and the implementation of Industry 5.0 principles are no longer optional they are essential for survival and growth," Adik stated when opening SUGAREX Indonesia 2025, themed “Building Indonesia’s Sweet Future through Innovation, Technology, and Sustainability in the Sugar Industry” in Surabaya on Wednesday (November 12, 2025).

Adik explained that East Java, as the largest producer of white crystal sugar, contributes around 50 percent of national output. Recent data shows that in 2024, sugarcane plantations in the province covered 229,869 hectares, producing approximately 1.22 million tons of sugar with a yield of 7.47 percent. This figure significantly contributes to the projected national sugar production of 2.6 million tons for 2024/2025.

Given this substantial contribution, Adik stressed that digital transformation within East Java’s sugar sector will directly impact national food security.

"If East Java succeeds in accelerating factory modernization and integrating smart technologies, then half of the challenges in national sugar production can be addressed from here," he asserted.

The sugar industry, Adik continued, is currently facing major challenges from low land productivity and aging factories to inefficient supply chains. In addition, climate change and sustainability demands are putting further pressure on the sector to innovate. Yet amid these challenges lie significant opportunities through digital technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart automation systems that can enhance production efficiency.

Adik added that Kadin Jatim believes the adoption of Industry 5.0 which emphasizes collaboration between humans and machines will propel the sugar sector toward high efficiency and sustainability. Technologies such as soil sensors, autonomous tractors, IoT-based production monitoring, and end-to-end supply chain digitalization will accelerate modernization from upstream to downstream.

"Collaboration among businesses, researchers, and the government is essential to the success of sugar-industry digitalization. We are also encouraging training programs for sugarcane farmers to familiarize themselves with new technologies, while opening access to partnerships with digital solution providers both domestically and internationally," he explained.

Furthermore, Adik stressed that digital transformation in the sugar sector will not only improve economic efficiency but also strengthen national food security. With digitalization, production can be monitored in real time, distribution becomes faster, and post-harvest losses can be minimized.

"This is not merely about machines and data it is about maintaining balance between technology, people, and environmental sustainability," he emphasized.

To that end, Kadin Jatim invites all participants, investors, and industry players to make SUGAREX Indonesia 2025 a milestone for building an intelligent and globally competitive national sugar industry.

"East Java is wide open for investment and strategic partnerships in the sugar sector and its derivatives. We are ready to become Indonesia’s center for modern, inclusive, and sustainable sugar innovation," Adik concluded.

Meanwhile, Fireworks Trade Media CEO Kenny Yong said the next wave of technology will define the future of Indonesia’s sugar industry.

"AI solutions and Industry 5.0 will enable East Java’s sugar industry to achieve greater efficiency, expand production capacity, and adopt sustainable practices to remain globally competitive," he said.

Kenny added that the forum brings together global technology providers with factory owners, associations, and research institutions creating opportunities for collaborations that accelerate the adoption of modern technologies in national sugar production.

Research support also comes from academics and research institutions. Risvan Kuswurjanto, Head of Business Division at the Indonesian Sugar Research Institute (P3GI), emphasized that research forms the foundation of industrial innovation.

"We fully support this transformation because new technologies such as autonomous tractors and efficiency-based factory production systems are born from deep research. We are also continuing to develop superior sugarcane varieties and conduct research on downstream products, including cane-based beverages," he explained.