PLN ICE 2026 Drives EV Innovation and Student Startups to Boost Energy Transition Performance
PT PLN (Persero) has again held the PLN Innovation Competition in Electricity (PLN ICE) 2026, a national competition that serves as a platform for Indonesian students to develop innovations in the field of electric vehicles (EV) and energy startups. Now in its seventh year, PLN ICE continues to be a collaborative space between academia and industry to support technological development and accelerate the energy transition in Indonesia.
For this year’s event, PLN is again collaborating with the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) Surabaya as a technical implementation partner. This collaboration represents a synergy between PLN and higher education institutions to cultivate superior talent while encouraging innovations that can add value to the national electricity sector.
General Manager of the PLN Electricity Research and Development Centre, Mochamad Soleh, stated that PLN ICE is a tangible manifestation of PLN’s commitment to supporting human resource development and the national innovation ecosystem. ‘PLN ICE is not just a competition, but also a collaborative space for students to present innovative solutions that support the transformation of the electricity sector. Together with ITS, we aim to encourage the birth of applicable, competitive innovations that can make a real contribution to accelerating the energy transition in Indonesia,’ said Mochamad Soleh.
PLN ICE 2026 features two main categories: the Electric Vehicle (EV) Competition and the Startup Competition. The EV category consists of Gokart EV, Drag EV, and Micro EV, challenging students to design, build, and test their electric vehicle innovations. Meanwhile, the Startup Competition provides a platform for students with innovative energy-based technological solutions to develop them into business models that have the potential to support the development of the national energy sector.
As a form of support for the nation’s innovations, PLN has prepared more than Rp2 billion in the form of funding assistance, competition implementation support, and awards for participants and winners across various categories. Through this support, PLN hopes that more student innovations can develop to the point of having implementation value for the electricity industry and supporting the national energy transition agenda.