22 Universities Set to Compete in PGTC 2026 National Finals
The Pertamina Goes to Campus (PGTC) 2026 programme has entered its National Finals, bringing together the best young talents from 22 universities across 12 Indonesian provinces. A total of 16 teams in the Energy Debate Championship (EDC) and 10 finalists in the Energynovation Ideas Competition (EIC) will compete in Jakarta on 22-23 September 2026.
Muhammad Baron, VP of Corporate Communication at PT Pertamina (Persero), stated that PGTC is a tangible manifestation of Pertamina’s commitment to strengthening the higher education ecosystem and community empowerment. Through this programme, students are encouraged to hone their critical thinking, argumentation skills, and create applicable ideas that address future energy challenges.
“We highly appreciate the courage and the quality of the students’ ideas. The qualification of representatives from universities in Sumatra, Java, Bali, to Nusa Tenggara proves that Indonesia’s young talent possesses superior and evenly distributed capacity. For Pertamina, PGTC is an incubation platform for leadership and innovation so that students are not merely spectators, but also key actors in creating energy solutions that impact society,” Baron said in a written statement on Wednesday (16/9/2026).
A lineup of leading universities, including ITB, UI, UGM, IPB, Unpad, ITERA, Universitas President, and PKN STAN, are competing with their ideas. This initiative creates a space for inclusive collaboration and cross-learning between students from top state universities, private colleges, and government-affiliated institutions.
For the education sector, this distribution reinforces the importance of integrating academic research with industrial needs. For the Indonesian people, the innovations offered have the potential to produce solutions based on local potential to meet clean energy needs across various regions.
“Our ‘Semangat Kita Energi Muda’ (Our Spirit is Young Energy) theme underscores Pertamina’s belief that the younger generation possesses the energy, creativity, and social empathy to address crucial societal issues. Through PGTC, we aim to create a talent network ready to contribute directly to national energy security and independence,” concluded Baron.
In the Energynovation Ideas Competition (EIC) category, 10 finalists will present technological innovations and energy business models before a panel of expert judges to compete for a Top 3 position. Meanwhile, in the Energy Debate Championship (EDC) category, 16 of the best teams will compete intensely from the preliminary rounds to the Grand Final on 23 September 2026.
The National Finals and Awarding Night will officially conclude the PGTC 2026 programme, which has been running since May 2026, at ITB Bandung. This step reaffirms Pertamina’s ongoing commitment to educating and empowering the younger generation to create innovations with a real impact on Indonesia.