Kemenkop UKM And BRIN Open Opportunities For Commercialization Of Research Results

Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki/DOK Kemenkop UKM

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs (Kemenkop UKM) and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) are exploring cooperation opportunities to commercialize research and innovation results as an effort to create new economic resources and increase the competitiveness of MSMEs in Indonesia.

Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki said, so far many MSMEs in Indonesia have been established, not based on research and innovation results. This makes it difficult for their businesses to develop optimally.

"We want to work with BRIN to commercialize research results. I was assigned by the President (Joko Widodo) so that there would be breakthroughs in the economic sector. So, if the results of this research can be commercialized, we already have the ecosystem, so we just need to connect it," said Teten in a written statement, Saturday, July 20.

Teten said that so far the Indonesian economy has been supported by more manufacturing industries engaged in mining and oil palm plantations.

In fact, there are still many other potential resources to be worked on and developed as new economic resources.

Another problem is that digital technology innovation from startups is more dominant in targeting payment and e-commerce needs. In fact, a breakthrough is needed to provide technological devices that can facilitate the production sector in the form of agriculture, fisheries, and plantations.

"This happens because the majority of the startups were born not based on in-depth research results," he said.

He hopes that the collaboration with BRIN can help MSMEs and startups in Indonesia to replicate the MSME business ecosystem in other countries such as Korea, Japan, the Netherlands and Australia, which is based on research results.

Meanwhile, the Head of BRIN LT Handoko welcomed Teten's initiative and stated BRIN's readiness to synergize with the Kemenkop UKM.

BRIN has various research and development facilities (R&D) and resources that can be utilized by MSMEs and startups to develop their products and businesses.

"We also invite partners from business actors to come here. Including inviting foreign investment to come here, not to sell the formula but to make our place as the center of R&D," he said.

The Soekarno Science and Technology (KST) area in Bogor, West Java, is considered very suitable for the development of national startups and entrepreneurship because it has modern facilities. This KST is equipped with advanced research laboratories and facilities that can be used for product testing development.

KST Soekarno is also ready to facilitate business actors to gain access to financing from various sources of funding and research grants. In fact, KST Soekarno also has very wide access to resources and networks.

That way, it is possible for MSMEs, startups and entrepreneurs to develop.