(FEB NEWS) Amidst the hustle and bustle of international competitions bringing together young people from various countries, two students from the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Airlangga chose an unusual path, namely bringing coastal issues to the global stage.
Nelson Rachel Rafael, an Accounting student, and Nailah Salma, an Economics student, were the ones who, on April 10, 2026, successfully won 1st Place in the International Youth Innovation Summit (IYIS) which was held in Singapore and Malaysia recently.
The International Youth Innovation Summit served as a meeting point for Singapore and Malaysia. With the theme "Youth Innovation Digital," Nelson and Nailah initiated "MarExa," a digital platform designed to empower local MSMEs and artisans in coastal areas to compete in the global market.
MacroSix, developed MarExa (Maritime Export Accelerator) a digital platform aimed at MSMEs and craftsmen in coastal areas, with an initial focus on Kenjeran Beach, Surabaya.
The problems are classic: limited market access, inconsistent product quality, and sporadic financial management. MarExa aims to address these issues within a single ecosystem.
This platform is built with four main features:
● Master Class, containing materials from practitioners to improve product standards
● Retail Partner, opening access to more competitive raw materials and packaging
● Global Logistic, connecting products to international markets through e-commerce and distribution integration
● Revenue Tracker, a real-time financial dashboard to maintain business transparency
Thus, their innovation does not stop at digitalization but rather instills economic literacy and business practices that are often unequal in the field.
MarExa didn't take long to develop. It took just five weeks, from creating the Business Model Canvas to developing visual materials and presenting simulations.
Team coordination occurs regularly every week. Discussions are cross-disciplinary, forcing each member to simplify ideas without losing substance. They also receive feedback from professional IYIS mentors, which Nelson believes is crucial for testing whether their ideas are sufficiently "spoken" in a global forum.
Challenges arose during the question-and-answer session. Language became a barrier, disrupting communication. However, that's where their training was put to the test, particularly in crafting concise yet sharp storytelling.
“We focus on getting the main message across, not just answering questions,” Nelson said.
This approach paid off. In addition to the team's victory, Nelson was also named the Most Innovative Delegate.
This innovation aligns with efforts to promote decent work and economic growth, while strengthening an innovation-based industrial ecosystem. But more importantly, it demonstrates that solutions don't always come from large projects; sometimes they come from the courage to take small problems seriously.
Editor: Sintya Alfafa