Accelerator Lab Indonesia Is Ready To Present The Latest Innovations

JAKARTA - Minister of Research and Technology (Menristek) Bambang Brodjonegoro, revealed that the development of new technology plays an important role in the nation's innovation. This effort is in line with the UNDP Lab Accelerator in Indonesia.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has made us realize how important swift action and creativity are to tackle today's development challenges. We need new ideas and creativity to come up with new technologies that can disrupt old paradigms that impede solutions to challenges such as climate change and inequality," Bambang said in a press release, Monday, March 29.

The head of the Research and National Agency (BRIN) said that Accelerator Lab Indonesia will be one of 91 Accelerator Labs in 115 countries that seek, test and improve solutions to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Head of UNDP Indonesia Representative, Norimasa Shimomura asked stakeholders to support the acceleration of the latest technology and innovation. Given the pandemic situation, it encourages creativity in a new approach.

"UNDP Indonesia is proud to launch the Accelerator Lab today as we can add more solutions and ideas to tackle today's challenges to seize future opportunities," said Shimomura.

Accelerator Lab Indonesia is supported by funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and the Qatar Fund for Development. This lab has also conducted urban studies to solve ethnographic problems, such as floods.

On the same occasion, Peter Schoof, the German Ambassador to Indonesia, said that the existence of a learning network center in Indonesia will help ideas and creativity flow more easily, create fast solutions and encourage more practitioners to accelerate the process to fulfill the SDGs agenda.

"The German government is proud to support the establishment of the Accelerator Lab in Indonesia which is expected to be a learning catalyst for SDGs solutions," said Peter.

Meanwhile, Qatar's Ambassador to Indonesia Fawziya Edrees Salman Al-Sulaiti said innovation was the core of Qatar's rapid development in the last few decades.

"Our society has experienced transformative changes and for the better because we continue to encourage innovation and technology. Big changes on a national scale can start from a small community and we hope that Accelerator Lab Indonesia will become a rapidly growing learning network," said Fawziya.

Bringing dynamic innovation to large public bureaucracies is never easy, and there will always be many opponents. But without accelerated innovation, there is little chance of achieving the SDGs, said Geoff Mulgan, Professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation, University College London and advisor to Global Accelerator Labs.

According to him Accelerator Lab has made a good start, which is focused on practical action. Accelerator Lab Indonesia will work in partnership with the Government of Indonesia, academics, CSOs, local communities, national and international community of innovators, and start-ups.