In line with this commitment, more than 150 researchers from the\nNational Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) were invited to meet\nPresident Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on August 6,\n2026, to present and showcase their work directly.<\/p>\n
The work spanned 12 innovation clusters, ranging from energy, food,\nhealthcare, aerospace, and maritime studies to the environment, advanced\nmaterials, digital and artificial intelligence, transportation, defense,\nsocial sciences and humanities, and affordable consumer products.<\/p>\n
Over 150 products were on display, including nuclear technology,\nready-to-drink water systems, innovative roofing tiles, and aircraft\ndesigns.<\/p>\n
BRIN was established in 2021 through the merger of several government\nresearch bodies: the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the\nNational Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), the National Institute of\nAeronautics and Space (LAPAN), the Agency for the Assessment and\nApplication of Technology (BPPT), and the Eijkman Institute for\nMolecular Biology.<\/p>\n
This consolidation was designed to pool research resources previously\nscattered across dozens of ministries and agencies, while eliminating\nduplicate research programs.<\/p>\n
The gathering at the Palace on August 6 marked the first time BRIN\nhas presented the full scope of this unified effort to the president,\nyielding a more substantial policy: an explicit call to ensure research\ncan be commercialized into market-ready products.<\/p>\n
For years, Indonesia\u2019s research spending has stagnated between 0.28\npercent and 0.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), or roughly Rp5\ntrillion to Rp7 trillion annually, and even dipped closer to Rp3\ntrillion to Rp4 trillion following budget efficiency policies in\n2025.<\/p>\n
That figure lags far behind the levels seen in other countries, such\nas Malaysia at 1.15 percent of its GDP, China at 2.1 to 2.5 percent,\nJapan at 3.65 percent, and South Korea at over 4 percent.<\/p>\n
Former BRIN Head Laksana Tri Handoko, who served from 2021 to 2025,\nonce noted that the ideal research budget for an economy of Indonesia\u2019s\nsize would be 1 percent of GDP, equivalent to hundreds of trillions of\nrupiah per year.<\/p>\n
The Rp4 trillion nearly doubles the BRIN budget from its lowest point\nfollowing the 2025 efficiency measures. This signals that long-standing\nresearch funding concerns raised by the scientific community are\nbeginning to be addressed through concrete fiscal policies.<\/p>\n
This additional allocation is channeled through three routes mapped\nout by BRIN: boosting innovation for micro, small, and medium\nenterprises (MSMEs); strengthening national industrial competitiveness\nin partnership with sovereign wealth fund Danantara, which serves as the\nstate strategic investment holding; and facilitating advanced technology\ncollaboration with international partners.<\/p>\n
These three mark a shift in how the government approaches\nresearch\u2014moving from a standalone academic pursuit to a direct input for\nnational investment and supply chains.<\/p>\n
BRIN\u2019s collaboration with Danantara is already underway and yielding\nmeasurable results, with joint research conducted in the fields of\nbattery, transportation, shipbuilding, food, and the electric vehicle\necosystem.<\/p>\n
Danantara recorded Rp300.1 trillion in downstream industry investment\nduring the first half of 2026, accounting for 29.7 percent of the total\nRp1,010.6 trillion in national investment over the same period.<\/p>\n
A portion of this investment materialized in joint advanced-materials\ndevelopment between MIND ID, Len Industri, Krakatau Steel, and\nPerusahaan Mineral Nasional (Perminas)\u2014a collaboration that directly\nengages research institutions like BRIN in technology transfer.<\/p>\n
A similar pattern is taking root at a more technical level. BRIN\nregularly hosts the \u201cBRIN Goes to Industry\u201d forum to connect research\nfindings with the specific needs of key sectors, including mining.<\/p>\n
In the academic sector, BRIN continues to strengthen its partnerships\nwith universities like Brawijaya University through strategic dialogues\nthat highlight the role of higher education institutions in the national\nresearch ecosystem.<\/p>\n
This series of collaborations proves that the president\u2019s directive\non downstreaming was no sudden impulse, but rather a reinforcement of a\nresearch-industry trend that had already been building throughout\n2026.<\/p>\n
The August 6 meeting served as a consolidation point rather than a\nstarting line, bringing together the highest political legitimacy\u2014the\npresident\u2019s presence\u2014with institutional mechanisms already underway at\nBRIN, Danantara, and industry partners.<\/p>\n
Going forward, the success of this policy will be measured by how\ninnovations, such as those showcased at the palace, can reach and impact\nMSMEs, strategic state-owned enterprises, and domestic industries.<\/p>\n
BRIN already possesses the mechanisms required to achieve this,\nnamely technology licensing, joint research, and support for\nresearch-driven startups that must be scaled up in tandem with the newly\napproved funding.<\/p>\n
Addressing the researchers at the meeting, President Prabowo\nemphasized that nations mastering science and technology will advance\nfar faster than those merely relying on their natural resources.<\/p>\n
This is also aligned with Indonesia\u2019s goal of becoming a developed\nnation under the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, as the country\u2019s\ndemographic dividend is expected to transform into an innovation-driven\neconomic force.<\/p>\n
Within this framework, research \u2018downstreaming\u2019 or commercialization\nis positioned as part of a long-term strategy to transform Indonesia\ninto a creator of technology, rather than a mere consumer of imported\ngoods.<\/p>\n
Supported by additional funding and established partnerships,\nIndonesia now stands on firmer footing to achieve this ambitious\ngoal.<\/p>\n
Related news: Strategic Research Program to support downstreaming\nefforts: Ministry<\/p>\n
Related news: BRIN launches Indonesian Research and Innovation\nFund<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/laying-stronger-footing-for-indonesias-research-push-1786780217", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }