President Jokowi Tells BPPT to Strengthen Tech Innovation Ecosystems

By Office of Assistant to Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents & Translation     Date 8 Maret 2021
Category: News
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President Jokowi opens the 2021 BPPT National Working Meeting on Strengthening the Technology Innovation Ecosystem at State Palace in Jakarta, on Monday (08/03). Photo by: Press Bureau of Presidential Secretariat/MuchlisJr

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Monday (08/03) during the 2021 National Work Meeting of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) on strengthening tech innovation ecosystems conveyed three directions to support the role of the BPPT and tech innovation ecosystems in Indonesia.

On that occasion, President Jokowi urged the agency to become a pioneer for national economic recovery through innovation and the use of technology.

According to the President, there are several important things that the BPPT must carry out to become an extraordinary think tank to rebuild the economy.

First, the BPPT must search for innovative ideas on innovation and technology to be developed and implemented.

For example, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many innovations in the health sector that are effectively aimed to support the fight against the pandemic, such as a COVID-19 detector developed by a local university GeNose and rapid diagnostic test RI-GHA.

“In other fields, especially in the food and energy sector, innovation and technology can also be used to boost the efficiency of SMEs, facilitate synergies between small and large businesses, and improve the quality of life in the population at large,” the President added.

Second, due to the massive change of the technology, President Jokowi underscored that the BPPT must become an advanced institution for technology acquisitions.

“So, the strategy of technology acquisition is the key to accelerate our economic development,” he said, while expressing hope that the application of advanced technology from abroad must be followed by the knowledge and experience transfer.

Regarding this issue, the President said he had previously signed Presidential Regulation Number 118 of 2020 on the Procurement of Industrial Technology through the Turnkey Project.

Third, the President ordered the BPPT to become the center for Indonesia’s technological intelligence.

According to the President, the world is facing a war of artificial intelligence (AI) and a country that can master AI has the potential to dominate the world. To that end, he added, the BPPT must play its role to produce its own technology.

Last but not least, the President expressed hopes that the BPPT is able to become an extraordinary institution and continue finding brand new, innovative, and creative ways to support national development. (FID/UN) (AP/EP)

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