Gov’t Focuses on Developing Research, Innovations

President Jokowi enters a meeting room, at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Wednesday (11/12). (Photo by: Rahmat/PR)

In a bid to develop research and innovations in Indonesia, strengthening regulations and institutional capacity, enhancing quality of human resources, improving incentive system, increasing budget allocated for research and innovation, and establishing connection with patent industry are vital, according to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

“Our focus is not only to increase budget allocated for research but also to make it more effective and can bring concrete results,” President Jokowi said in his introductory remarks at a Limited Meeting on the Strategies to Develop Research and Innovation, and to Manage National Research and Innovation Agency, at Presidential Office, Jakarta, Wednesday (11/12).

The President added that overlapping research agenda that overspends the State Budget must be cut, adding that budget allocated for research in each ministry and institution must be integrated in one road map to bring favorable outcome for the advancement of the country.

On that occasion, President Jokowi also said that investment in research and innovations is the key for this country to make a huge leap.

Innovation and breakthroughs connected to industries and businesses are expected to bring benefits for the people and will eventually increase national economic competitiveness, he added.

Therefore, the President called for a focus-directed research in which all research must be done under one framework, namely avoiding middle income trap and transforming the country into a developed country.

“We are now living in a rapidly changing world where technology innovation disrupts all areas of life. Artificial intelligence, the Internet of Thing, and Big Data have rendered the previous technology obsolete, replaced it with new technologies in a blink of an eye.

In this situation, the President added, it is important to have great strategies and designs, as well as to prioritize and support promising research agenda.

The Government also needs to prioritize research agenda that can bring most significant improvement for the country and the agenda must be well-implemented and bring concrete benefits, the President added. (MAY/RAH/ES)

Translated by : Rany Anjany Subachrum
Reviewed by : M. Ersan Pamungkas