I hope that the universities which have been mandated (to get involved) in this project can be disciplined to maintain the quality, timeliness, and integrity (of the project)...
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry has launched the “Promoting Research and Innovation through the Modern and Efficient Science and Technology Parks Project (PRIME STeP) 2023–2027 for the development of Science-Techno Parks (STP).

According to acting Director General for Higher Education, Research, and Technology at the ministry Nizam, the establishment of STP is one of the strategic attempts to encourage the use of research and technology results in the industrial sector.

"PRIME STeP is an STP development project at four Legal Entity State Universities (PTN-BH)," he said at the launch of the project here on Monday (February 27, 2023), according to a statement issued on Tuesday.

PRIME STeP will be developed at Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Gadjah Mada University (UGM), and the University of Indonesia (UI).

This project is supported by foreign grant loans (PHLN) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and will be implemented within five years—from January 2023 to December 2027.

The acting director general said he expected that ADB's support will help Indonesia to establish superior STPs, thus the nation can generate various competitive innovations and technologies.

"I hope that the universities which have been mandated (to be involved) in this project can be disciplined to maintain the quality, timeliness, and integrity (of the project), thus they are able to achieve the determined output," he added.

Director of Institutional Affairs at the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology Lukman said that the PRIME STeP would not only benefit the education ecosystem, but also industrial and economic development.

The STP will also serve as a place for students to carry out various research and innovation programs as well as develop an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Thus, through the STP, universities will be able to create startups, open work opportunities, and generate income from startups and innovations, which have been successfully incubated, patented, and licensed, Lukman said.

Meanwhile, Project Manager of PRIME STeP Paulina Pannen noted that the project is focused on three aspects, namely developing the STP; improving research, development, and innovation facilities; as well as strengthening strategic innovation, research, and partnership development systems at each PTN-BH.

Furthermore, ADB’s country director for Indonesia, Jiro Tominaga, expressed the hope that the project will be able to advance the quality of Indonesian human resources through education, innovation, and technology.

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Translator: Astrid Habibah, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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