Five students from SMA Negeri 10 Surabaya have won a gold medal at Indonesia Inventors Day (IID) 2026 for research exploring the potential use of nickel slag as a plant-growing medium. The achievement follows their earlier gold-medal success at the 2026 ASEAN Innovative Science Environmental and Entrepreneur Fair (AISEEF), highlighting their continued interest in the potential applications of nickel slag.
Their latest research, titled LESAGO: The Use of Legume Cover Crops in Nickel Slag-Based Growing Media on Plant Growth with an Expansive Root System, examines plant growth in nickel slag-based media combined with legume cover crops. The students are exploring how this approach could contribute to research into land revegetation.
Organised by the Indonesian Invention and Innovation Promotion Association (INNOPA), IID 2026 took place from 3 to 6 October at the SMESCO Building in Jakarta. The event brought together students and innovators from various countries to present their research and innovations.
The team's success builds on its earlier achievement at AISEEF 2026, held at Diponegoro University, where it also won gold for NISAGO: Utilization of Nickel Slag as a Planting Medium on Soil Properties and Growth Response of Ipomoea aquatica. Together, the two projects reflect the students' continued exploration of nickel slag and its potential applications in plant cultivation.
The idea behind LESAGO grew from the students' interest in industrial process residues and their potential role in revegetation. Environmental management practices in Obi's nickel industrial area provided a context for their inquiry, prompting them to explore how materials generated by industrial processes might have applications beyond their original purpose.
“We were initially interested in exploring how nickel slag could be put to use rather than simply being treated as industrial waste. This led us to investigate its potential as a planting medium and how it could be combined with cover crops to support revegetation,” said Abid Hakim Pradana, head of the SMA Negeri 10 Surabaya research team.
Harita Nickel supports the LESAGO team as part of its efforts to foster collaboration with educational institutions and encourage students' interest in science, technology and environmental issues.
“What stands out about this research is not just the medal itself, but how the students see industrial challenges as opportunities to learn, ask questions and seek answers through scientific inquiry,” said Iwan Syahroni, Executive Vice President of Environmental Affairs at Harita Nickel.
The team's achievements illustrate how engagement with real-world industrial and environmental issues can encourage young people to pursue scientific inquiry. Collaboration between industry and education can help connect classroom learning with practical challenges, creating opportunities for students to develop ideas grounded in science.