I am confident that we will become a gateway for technological progress in Southeast AsiaSurabaya, E Java (ANTARA) - Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education Muhamad Nasir is optimistic that Indonesia will become a gateway for technological progress in Southeast Asia.
"I am confident that we will become a gateway for technological progress in Southeast Asia," he said while opening the 7th Indonesian Flying Robot Contest 2019 at Surabaya State University (Unesa) Tuesday night. Indonesia is now ranked first in Southeast Asia in terms of researches and patents, he said.
"In the past 20 years, we were always ranked fourth in Southeast Asia in terms of patents. But now we are number one when it comes to the number of patents," he said.
The country has new inventors of flying robots that can be used in all fields including defense, agriculture, and disaster mitigation, the minister said while commenting on the flying robot contest.
"The Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry can now make drones capable of flying as far as 250 kilometers from the launch point. I challenge (the ministry) to make a drone capable of flying up to 500 kilometers or 1,000 kilometers," he said.
The drone attack on the Amaranco refinery in Saudi Arabia suggests that drone technology has become one of the tactical weapons of the future, he said.
The presence of a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will help the Indonesian military (TNI) conduct surveillance of the Indonesian territory, he said.
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Translator: Budhi Santoso/Suharto
Editor: Sri Haryati
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