Balikpapan — Students from the Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK), through the Arunika Karsa group, have developed an innovation to process ketapang seeds into flour in Pantai Seraya RT 28, Sepinggan Raya Village, South Balikpapan District. Conducted from February to June 2026, the program aims to optimize local resources while reducing organic waste in the coastal area.

Ketapang trees are commonly found around Pantai Seraya. However, their fruits and seeds have not been optimally utilized and are often left as organic waste. Through a program titled “Optimization of Ketapang Seed Processing into Flour through Drying and Milling Technology,” ITK students developed a processing method involving drying, peeling, milling, and sieving.

The program was implemented through a multidisciplinary approach involving students from Safety Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Food Technology. This approach allowed the product development process to consider not only processing techniques but also occupational safety, sanitation, and product quality.

The program was supported by faculty members Riski Arif Mardika, S.ST., M.T., Aulia Rahma, S.T., M.T., and Muhammad Hudzaly Hatala, S.Kom., M.T., who worked alongside students Ahmad Hidayat N. H., Akhmad Nurhadi, Andhika Aryaputra, Robiyal Dwi Setiawan, Khairunnisa Afifah, Rismadani, Risti Hestining, Amrulloh, Nahdya Nurislamiyah D. P., and Tasya Azzahrah in developing the innovation.

The activities began with surveys and coordination with the local community in February 2026. These were followed by the collection and selection of ketapang seeds, drying and peeling processes, and initial flour production in March. From April to May, the team continued production while evaluating the physical characteristics of the resulting flour.

The Arunika Karsa program did not focus solely on product development but also encouraged community involvement. In April, the team provided residents with information about the potential of ketapang seeds and the processing methods. In May, educational activities were held for children in RT 28 to foster environmental awareness and introduce the importance of utilizing local resources.

Head of RT 28 Pantai Seraya, Muhammad Amin, appreciated the program for providing the community with new knowledge about the potential of ketapang seeds as an alternative food ingredient. He hopes that the knowledge gained can be further developed into a distinctive local product with economic value for the community.

Through this program, ITK students not only developed ketapang seed flour but also promoted knowledge transfer, environmental awareness, and community empowerment. The innovation represents an effort to transform an underutilized local resource into a product with greater practical value.

Moving forward, the development of ketapang seed flour will require further improvements to the production process, quality and food safety testing, shelf-life determination, and the preparation of standard operating procedures (SOPs). These steps are necessary to further develop the innovation and potentially enable the Pantai Seraya community to adopt and produce it independently.