Introductory Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at Inauguration of the Launching of Research, Technology, and Innovation Products for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling (Through Video Conference) Wednesday, 20 May 2020 at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Good afternoon,

Peace and prosperity be upon us all,

Om Swastiastu,

Namo Buddhaya,

Greetings of Virtue.

Distinguished Vice President,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The world is currently in a rapid competition in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak and we must respond to it with concrete innovations and works. This serves as new momentum for the awakening of our nation and science, as well as technology, especially in the health sector.

On this National Awakening Day, we can reflect on the struggle of Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo, who fought at the forefront to eradicate the bubonic plague at that time.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today we should be proud for the works of children of the nation, from our own hands. Our nation is able to produce important works. Yesterday I saw for myself we can produce more than 100,000 rapid test kits per month and PCR test kits as well.

We are also developing emergency ventilator prototypes. I have seen the prototypes from BPPT, ITB, UI, UGM, PT Dharma, and PT Poly Jaya, which remain to be mass-produced. Then there are also the Mobile Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2) Laboratory, immunomodulatory products and AI-based early detection system for COVID-19, which we can also produce by ourselves.

From what I saw yesterday, I am utterly optimistic that things that we never thought (we could produce) before and those we could only import can now be produced by ourselves. Moreover, we must also be able to produce our own vaccines. I am glad that the Eijkman Institute has obtained data on seven genome sequences, the complete viral genome which is very useful for vaccine development. And I am also pleased that the research community continues to work to find effective drugs and therapies for the treatment of COVID-19. Please do not limit those works at the laboratory. They must be mass-produced to meet our domestic needs and so that we can also export them.

For this reason, we must strengthen cooperation and collaboration between children of the nation. R&D institutions, universities, the business world, the industrial world, the community must all join hands to build this. It is time for the industries to have the courage to invest. It is time for the communities to also start loving domestic products and to be proud of the products made at home. We must continuously improve a favorable industrial ecosystem that can help innovations to grow and to develop and to nurture the mentality of being proud of our own products. This is what we want.

And that concludes my statement on this this auspicious occasion.

And by saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I hereby officially launch the COVID-19 innovation products today.

I thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Translated by Galuh Wicaksono H

Reviewed by M. Ersan Pamungkas