Fajar Sidik Abdullah Kelana boasts a rich research, innovation, and leadership background. He currently holds the position of Vice Rector of Research at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta, where he leads research initiatives and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration. Additionally, he is on the supervisory board of the Education Development Center (EDC) in the USA, and he has a key role in establishing EDC Indonesia.

Fajar is the founder and COO of Banoo Indonesia, a successful startup recognized in several international innovation competitions. His past roles include serving as the Director of the Research Institute at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta and as a Junior Researcher at IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet in Sweden, where he focused on business model innovation for vertical farming startups in Southeast Asia. As a Lead Researcher at the Center for Energy Studies UGM, he spearheaded a team developing microbubble generator technology for aquaculture and wastewater treatment.

Fajar’s numerous achievements include being named the Most Outstanding Young Alumni by Universitas Gadjah Mada and winning the Grand Prize in the Ideas for Action competition by the IMF-World Bank Group. He holds a Master of Science in Innovation Management from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Universitas Gadjah Mada.