Diponegoro University Scientists Create Artificial Coral Reefs from Industrial Waste

A research team from Diponegoro University in Semarang has developed an Artificial Fish Apartment (AFA), a coral reef technology made from Fly Ash Bottom Ash (FABA), an industrial waste product reprocessed into an environmentally friendly structure for marine biota habitats. Team leader Prof Munasik stated on Thursday that the technology is an innovative solution to support ecosystem rehabilitation, increase fisheries productivity, and sustainably strengthen the economy of coastal communities. The innovation has been officially selected as a participant in the Lab2Market 2026 programme, a national initiative focused on accelerating the downstreaming and commercialisation of university research results in Indonesia. In its development, the AFA has reached a technology readiness level (TRL) of 7–8 and has been tested in several coastal areas of Indonesia. He explained that monitoring results show an increase in fish populations, biodiversity, and the formation of more complex and productive marine habitats. Besides providing ecological benefits, the technology is also considered more economically efficient because its production costs are lower than imported artificial reef products. This support is expected to accelerate the implementation of AFA as a leading technology in the field of marine ecosystem restoration and the development of the national blue economy. He conveyed that this achievement motivates the research team to continue pushing research results to provide tangible benefits to the wider community. ‘We are grateful that AFA was selected for the Lab2Market 2026 programme. This is an important opportunity to strengthen the downstreaming process of the innovation we have developed,’ he said. The AFA development team consists of multidisciplinary academics and practitioners within Undip who have competencies in marine ecology, fisheries technology, construction engineering, production systems, and environmental monitoring. The innovation is also in line with Undip’s commitment to supporting the development of the Blue Economy and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 14 concerning the conservation of marine ecosystems. As part of the programme stages, the AFA Team will participate in the Lab2Market 2026 Kick-Off event scheduled to take place in Jakarta on 25–26 June 2026.