"This year, our consumption in the use of funds from the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education Agency (LPDP) is much bigger because the scheme has begun," Head of BRIN Laksana Tri Handoko stated in Cibinong, Bogor, Saturday.
Handoko made the statement at the 29th Hakteknas (National Technology Day) Commemoration at the Soekarno Science and Technology Area (KST) on Saturday.
He explained that earlier, only around Rp100 billion (USD1 = Rp15,949.90) was used annually, but this year, almost Rp500 billion was channeled just for research, and this does not include equipment procurement.
Handoko stated that the research funds are also supported by the government's commitment to providing research equipment, which come from both the state budget and through cooperation schemes with the private sector.
He explained that the commitment aims to create quality human resources for research, not only for the government through ministries and institutions but also for all stakeholders, including academics, the industry, and so on.
"With that, we hope that the industry will be more confident, like the pharmaceutical industry that has started to develop formula-based manufacturing," he remarked.
In addition, Handoko highlighted that various BRIN research facilities available can also be utilized by academics, both lecturers and students, for conducting research.
He said that this is an effort by the government to bridge the interest of academics in conducting research, but so far, it has been hampered by inadequate campus laboratory facilities.
"In fact, in some cases, such as food production research, the production was conducted here (BRIN laboratory)," he remarked.
Through those efforts, Handoko is optimistic that research and innovation would become fundamental factors in national development in the future.
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Translator: Sean Filo Muhamad, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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