The current development of the chemical industry in Indonesia has entered the Industrial Revolution 4.0 Era, which demands the implementation of increasingly efficient, effective, and sustainable production processes. Digital transformation, automation, and process efficiency are the main keys for the industry to survive and compete. In this context, the optimization of chemical process engineering becomes a strategic element to enhance the performance and productivity of the chemical industry. This process optimization involves continuous change and development of the production system to yield economically valuable, socially beneficial, and environmentally friendly products. Therefore, there is a need for professional human resources with high competence who are capable of addressing the complex process challenges in the Industrial 4.0 era.

Based on a needs analysis, it is known that currently, manpower in strategic positions such as lead engineer or process development manager is still obtained through internal promotion or external recruitment. However, there are no applied master’s graduates specifically equipped with competence in chemical process engineering optimization. Seeing this opportunity and need, the Department of Chemical Engineering at State Polytechnic of Malang (Politeknik Negeri Malang) initiated the establishment of the Applied Master’s Program in Chemical Engineering Optimization. According to PD-DIKTI data, this program is the first in Indonesia to specifically focus on this field.