Indonesia is very rich in various natural resources. The added value of these SDA can be multiplied by the use of appropriate technology, one of which is chemical reaction and catalysis technology. Research in the field of chemical reaction and catalysis technology must be directed at creating products resulting from the conversion of domestic natural resources (and their conversion technology) that can be applied to grow the domestic industry.

Catalysts are defined as substances that can accelerate and direct reactions. Catalysts can accelerate reactions up to billions or even trillions of times. The ability of this catalyst provides the opportunity to carry out reactions under milder conditions (low temperature and pressure) with high rates and selectivity. This ability makes catalysts key to the development and implementation of the chemical, oil, polymer and environmental preservation industries.

Of all the catalysts used in the industry, only 40% are actually sold freely on the market, the rest (60%) are produced for use by the developer industry itself. The monopoly on the use of this catalyst is of course intended so that the owner of the recipe and catalyst technology can remain superior in market competition.

It is estimated that the world's current need for catalysts reaches 21 billion US dollars. The value is not too large, but the value generated by the use of these catalysts can reach 11-15 trillion US dollars. The special role of this catalyst has caused many developed countries, especially the United States, to always try to be at the forefront in mastering the science and technology of catalysis. It is not surprising that currently 80% of the world's catalyst needs are supplied by companies from the United States.

In Indonesia, the use of catalysts has been started since 1957 in the FCC unit at the Plaju Refinery. Currently, Indonesia's need for catalysts for various chemical process industries is estimated to have reached more than 500 million US dollars per year, and all of them are still imported from abroad or produced domestically with licenses from abroad. In fact, catalysts are the key to the success of various commercial chemical processes, so without mastering the development and production of catalysts, a nation cannot possibly master chemical process technology. Catalyst production and industrial technology needs to be developed in Indonesia.

Currently, several catalysts developed in the Chemical Reaction Engineering and Catalysis Laboratory – ITB have been used in several commercial units of the chemical industry with very satisfactory performance. This achievement has opened up opportunities for further cooperation with many chemical industries to develop catalysts and in general chemical reaction and catalysis technology systems.

The Chemical Reaction and Catalysis Technology Expertise Group has areas of study in the development of chemical reaction and catalyst engineering science, production system development, and simulation development for operational improvement and factory performance enhancement.