Reni Yanita, the ministry's Director General of SMEs and Diverse Industries, noted that while SMEs drive the economy, they face challenges in technology adoption.
"Therefore, we provide the S4I program to address SMEs' needs for innovative technological solutions," she stated on Monday.
She emphasized that the program is a strategic step to accelerate technological transformation in the industrial sector, particularly for SMEs, to enhance their competitiveness and support the growth of Indonesia's digital economy, projected to reach US$90 billion this year.
"We encourage all stakeholders, including universities, research institutions, local governments, associations, and industry players, to join this ecosystem," she added.
Meanwhile, the ministry's Director of Metal, Machinery, Electronics, and Transportation Equipment SMEs, Dini Hanggandari, highlighted the program's promising results since its launch in 2018.
Hanggandari reported that the initiative has connected 1,319 startups with 1,927 industry players and 80 investors, both domestically and internationally.
"Cross-sector collaboration is critical for the success of the S4I program. By involving startups, SMEs, government, academics, and investors, we can establish a robust technology solution ecosystem," she asserted.
The Ministry of Industry had earlier introduced the One Village One Product (OVOP) Program to develop superior SMEs and expand export markets.
The OVOP program aims to strengthen domestic SMEs through mentoring, simplified market access, and compliance with necessary regulations and standards.
The ministry has also advanced this initiative with the OVOP Go Global program, which focuses on evaluating the potential of business players for international market entry. This evaluation includes assessing their interest, commitment, resource readiness, and capital.
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Translator: Ahmad Muzdaffar, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
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