Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK) has been entrusted to host the 2026 Indonesian Flying Robot Contest (KRTI), which will take place from September 21–25, 2026, across the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) area and the ITK campus in Balikpapan. This national competition brings together 373 students representing 94 teams from 43 universities to compete in flying robotics and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology.

KRTI 2026 stands as one of Indonesia’s largest and most prestigious student technology competitions, serving as a showcase of Indonesian students’ innovation and excellence in aerospace technology, particularly unmanned aircraft systems.

Holding KRTI in the IKN area gives this year’s competition a distinctive significance. Designed as a future-oriented city, IKN provides a relevant setting where the development of a new urban area meets technological ideas created by Indonesia’s younger generation. UAV technology now has a broad range of applications, including mapping, area monitoring, navigation, disaster mitigation, and logistics distribution. The presence of KRTI in IKN demonstrates how student innovations can contribute to the needs of future cities.

As a technology-focused university located in the supporting region of IKN, ITK is not only preparing the competition venues but also handling various technical aspects of the event. ITK has coordinated with several stakeholders, including Dhomber Air Force Base, to support aviation operations, safety, licensing, and technical readiness in the field.

“Being entrusted as the host of KRTI 2026 is both an honor and a responsibility for ITK. As a technology university growing within the supporting region of IKN, we are committed to ensuring that this event runs smoothly and provides a platform for students from across Indonesia to showcase their best innovations,” said ITK Rector Prof. Dr. Agus Rubiyanto, M.Eng.Sc.

“We hope that KRTI will go beyond being merely a competition and become the starting point for the emergence of new talents who will strengthen Indonesia’s technological independence in UAV development,” he added.

KRTI is an annual national competition initiated by the Directorate of Learning and Student Affairs (Belmawa) under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia.

More than just a competition, KRTI serves as a talent-development platform that encourages students to independently design, build, test, and develop UAV systems. From September 21–25, 2026, the IKN area will witness innovative ideas from students across Indonesia take flight, undergo rigorous testing, and evolve to address the technological challenges of the future.