This year's conference carries the theme "Building the Foundations of ASEAN-Japan Research Collaboration for Sustainable Innovation and Future Societies."
The focus includes sustainable funding, utilization of open infrastructure, researcher mobility, interdisciplinary research activities, and downstreaming research outcomes through collaboration with industry and startups.
"The collaboration enables researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry players to work together, accelerate the commercialization of research results, and create applicable innovations to address various regional issues," BRIN Head Laksana Tri Handoko noted in a statement in Jakarta, Thursday.
Handoko emphasized that BRIN, as a national research institution, plays a strategic role in fostering regional collaboration.
He believes startups are also crucial in digital transformation and urban innovation, focusing on solutions such as smart mobility, renewable energy, and more efficient public service systems.
"Through the launch of an international collaborative research funding scheme, researcher mobility, and an open-access policy for research infrastructure, BRIN strives to build an inclusive and impactful research and innovation ecosystem for national development toward Golden Indonesia 2045," he remarked.
Meanwhile, Edy Giri Rachman Putra, a BRIN official, explained that this year's STS Forum is entering its ninth edition with a new format, moving from a workshop to a conference, to broaden the scope of discussions and deepen engagement across sectors and countries.
Putra detailed that the forum will consist of three main sessions, with the first being "Strengthening Research Funding, Infrastructure, and Innovation Ecosystems for Sustainable Innovation," which discusses strategies for strengthening research collaboration through funding integration, researcher mobility, and open infrastructure management.
The second session," Advancing Strategic Collaboration in Interdisciplinary Research Areas for Regional Development," specifically highlights interdisciplinary research that addresses the challenges of civilizational and cultural change toward a modern smart society.
"BRIN also initiated research programs in the social, humanities, and archaeology fields that contribute to the global narrative on sustainability and local wisdom," Putra stated.
He explained that the third session focuses on Urban Innovation and Start-up Ecosystems, which focuses on the role of start-ups in downstreaming research and innovative solutions to address the challenges of urban communities in the digital era.
"BRIN has launched the RIIM Startup funding scheme to support Research-Based Start-up Companies (PPBR) so they can make real contributions through technological innovation," he noted.
According to Putra, the conference provides an opportunity to bring together cross-disciplinary thinking, open up opportunities for collaboration between sectors, and strengthen synergies between research and start-ups.
"By developing an ecosystem that supports the growth of research-based start-ups, ASEAN and Japan can encourage innovation that directly impacts people's lives, creating more inclusive and sustainable smart cities," Putra stated.
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Translator: Sean Filo Muhamad, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Arie Novarina
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