The cooperation is aimed at increasing the potential and competitiveness of MSMEs, especially in North Sumatra.
"Research on entrepreneurship and the commercialization of products of micro, small, and medium enterprises as well as small and medium industries are exciting. MSMEs are one of the pillars in Indonesia in terms of number and (job) absorption," head of BRIN’s Macroeconomic and Financial Research Center, Zamroni, said in a statement accessed by ANTARA on the agency’s official website here on Saturday.
Developing the digital ecosystem for MSMEs is crucial because it can strengthen the competitiveness of MSMEs and small and medium industries, he noted.
Meanwhile, a researcher at the Research Organization for Governance, Economics, and Community Welfare (OR TKPEKM), Bahtiar Rifai, noted that most MSMEs are still focusing on manual activities, while digital literacy and infrastructure are lacking.
For this reason, BRIN's research center is focusing on improving MSME business processes with the help of digital solutions, technology utilization, efficiency, employment, product expansion, and increased productivity.
In the future, it is hoped that the scope of cooperation between BRIN and USU could be expanded to education, research, and community service. The BRIN is open to various types of collaboration, such as research collaboration and the 'degree by research' program.
BRIN and USU could conduct research collaboration directly by formulating a memorandum of understanding given the large potential for such collaboration, Rifai added.
Meanwhile, USU Deputy Rector III, Poppy Hasibuan, said that her university wants to carry out research collaboration so that MSME players can master digital platforms and market research.
“(Hopefully,) MSMEs in North Sumatra can be clustered," she added.
It is hoped that USU can supervise MSME activities with the help of BRIN, Hasibuan said.
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Translator: Martha Herlinawati, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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