Bangka Belitung Province is one of the new provinces formed as a result of the division of South Sumatra Province, and it is rich in natural resources and abundant biodiversity. One of the valuable biodiversity resources in this region is the “Sapu-sapu” tree, which grows wild in this area and can be processed into essential oil.
On July 10, 2023, an Agreement of Cooperation was signed between the Faculty of Engineering (FT) at Universitas Bangka Belitung (UBB), the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and the Department of Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises, Bangka Belitung Province. This Agreement of Cooperation represents an expansion of the collaboration that has been ongoing between FMIPA UGM and the Department of Cooperatives and SMEs of Bangka Belitung Province since 2022.
This collaboration is of utmost importance as it aims to provide optimal support to harness the potential of the available resources in the Bangka Belitung region, which can be enhanced in terms of economic value and developed by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly those related to essential oils and their derivatives.
During this event, a collaboration agreement was also signed between FMIPA UGM and FT UBB for the soft launch of essential oil products sourced from the “Sapu-sapu” tree, which grows abundantly on the islands of Bangka and Belitung. The event was attended by the Governor of Bangka Belitung Province’s Special Staff, the Vice Rector of UBB, the Dean, several representatives from various departments in the Bangka Belitung region, and representatives from the Kagama Bangka Belitung Executive Board. (FA’23)
