Izza Rannisa
IPMI International Business School
Amelia Naim Indrajaya
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During the rainy season, paved or concrete yards are likely to be flooded, especially if there is no water absorption area in big cities in Indonesia. PoreBlock innovation is the solution for this problem. PoreBlock is a permeable porous paving block that can lead into the ground using industrial waste to reduce the potential for flooding, especially in urban areas. PoreBlock has an infiltration speed of 100x faster than ordinary paving blocks with a strength of up to K-350 or can withstand a truckload of 8 tons. Currently, PoreBlock can be used on residential or neighborhood roads.
Besides absorbing the air on concrete roads, PoreBlock's raw material also utilizes coal waste, becoming a truly environmentally friendly product.
PoreBlock continues to innovate in the field of environmentally friendly construction materials. The company works to develop paving blocks from fly-ash material and products that can integrate infiltration channels and waterways to support economic growth by protecting the environment. To create a flood-free area, in addition to using PoreBlock, it is required infiltration channels and drainage channels that can absorb air into the ground. The flood solution must be able to integrate with infiltration channels and the city drainage channels.
PoreBlock by Tech Prom Lab was first founded in the Laboratory of ITB University. In 2015, the initial research was the development of membranes for filtering water pipelines in urban areas. Over time, research has actually produced findings in porous concrete which can be used for residential or environmental roads. The founder Adi Surya Pradipta and the co-founders of PoreBlock, Anisa Azizah and Rizqi Abdullah, believe that the pore block provides a benefit not only on economic development but also to maintain water catchment areas. The economic development increases while the environment is preserved. Over time, PoreBlock became one of the innovative products provided by the Tech Prom Lab.
Tech Prom Lab won 1st place in the international competition, TECH PLANTER World Communication 2020 in Japan. The com was not only representing Indonesia but also Southeast Asia. Tech Prom Lab also participated in several competitions including, LPDP Entrepreneurial Summit (second place), Idealogy 2018 by The Greater Hub (highest score), and Go Startup Indonesia by Bekraf (regional winner).
Tech Prom Lab wants to bring product and manufacturing process knowledge to various regions in Indonesia.
After the innovation of pore block, the Laboratorium University team needs to work together with the industry to produce it massively. For this reason, Tech Prom Lab gets support from DIKTI Research and collaboration with related industries. Currently, the PoreBlock technology has been patented. The cooperation mechanism carried out by Tech Prom Lab with the producing industry is profit sharing or purchase at HPP prices. So that both the producer industry and the Tech Prom Lab can still make sales.
Currently, PoreBlock products have patents and are available in West Java, Greater Jakarta, and Bali - East Java. The target customers are property owners, developers, architects, and also the government. The government is one of the big targets of the Tech Prom Lab, with the optimism that the technology will impact a broader scale and provide positive results for the environment.
Tech Prom Lab is optimist that the technology can reach more areas in Indonesia in the future, so that its benefits can impacted throughout the country. Apart from environmental benefits, this PoreBlock innovation also provides social benefits.
The paving block business is generally a family business that has been running for generations without any innovation and only price competition between sellers. With the presence of PoreBlock which provides added value, these entrepreneurs have learned that innovation and improvement of a product are needed to survive in terms of economy and environmental impact.
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Anisa Azizah, Co-Founder of PoreBlock
Tech Prom Lab (formally PT. Teknologi Kanggo Nusantara Bagja) is a technology start-up that develops environmentally friendly construction materials, focusing on problem-solving based on research implementation and technology innovation to support sustainable development. PoreBlock is one of the innovative products provided by the Tech Prom Lab. PoreBlock is a permeable porous paving block that can lead into the ground using industrial waste to reduce the potential for flooding, especially in urban areas.