Surabaya, August 6, 2025 – Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) have once again demonstrated concrete action in supporting the pillars of the people's economy. Through the "Community Empowerment Micro and Small Enterprises (UMK) Care Program Vol. 2", a student team consisting of Muhammad Abrar Hakim, Rozan Hanifah Alde, Adzriel Shafaa' Nur Yusuf, and Muhammad Naufal Fathurrizqi carried out an intensive mentoring program in collaboration with the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) Regional Office IV. The activity, which took place from July 7 to August 8, 2025, targeted 12 MSEs in Surabaya with the main goal of bridging the digital divide and increasing business competitiveness through digital marketing strategies.

This program was born out of a sensitivity to the fundamental challenges faced by MSEs in Surabaya. Although MSEs contribute more than 61% of national GDP and constitute a thriving ecosystem in a metropolitan city like Surabaya, many business owners still face challenges due to low technological literacy. This situation creates a digital divide that hinders MSEs' potential for growth. Therefore, this MSE empowerment program is designed as a strategic intervention to equip business owners with practical skills, key to increasing their competitiveness in the modern economic era. This initiative is a strategic collaboration between academics and government institutions to deliver tangible impact.

The series of activities carried out was very comprehensive and touched on crucial aspects of business operations. The FEB UNAIR student team not only provided theory but also direct mentoring covering four main pillars. First, digital marketing training to build brand awareness and utilize social media. Second, e-commerce registration to expand market reach. Third, training on creating inventory stock reports for efficient inventory management. Fourth, facilitating digital payment registration (QRIS) to modernize transactions. All of these agendas aimed to holistically empower MSMEs, address the digital divide, and encourage the implementation of better business practices as a form of productive collaboration.

This MSME empowerment program targets measurable and significant impacts. The established success indicators include an average sales increase of 20-30% and a minimum of 70% of target MSEs actively using digital platforms. With funding support from student self-funding, this initiative demonstrates a strong commitment to local economic progress. This activity directly supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By increasing MSE income, this program contributes to SDG 1 (No Poverty). The training provided is a form of SDG 4 (Quality Education). Strengthening MSE capacity promotes SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Meanwhile, the collaboration model between universities (FEB UNAIR), government institutions (KPPU), and the community reflects SDG 17 (Partnerships to Achieve the Goals).

For the students who participated, this program became a valuable field laboratory. Students from the Undergraduate Management Program, such as Muhammad Abrar Hakim, Adzriel Shafaa' Nur Yusuf, and Muhammad Naufal Fathurrizqi, were able to directly apply marketing strategy theory, operational management through stock training, and branding to increase the competitiveness of MSMEs. Meanwhile, for students from the Undergraduate Economics Program, such as Rozan Hanifah Alde, this activity provided an in-depth understanding of microeconomics, saw how interventions to reduce the digital divide can affect local market structures, and analyzed the real impact of MSME empowerment on regional economic growth. This collaboration emphasizes the strategic role of FEB UNAIR and KPPU in producing human resources who are not only academically superior, but also possess empathy and concrete solutions for the nation's economy.