RI must push biotechnology<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will need to catch up in the field of
\nbiotechnology if it wants to develop as an industrial nation, a
\nsenior official of the Agency for Assessment and Application of
\nTechnology (BPPT) warns.<\/p>\n
Irawadi Jamaran, the agency's Deputy Chairman for Basic and
\nApplied Sciences, said last weekend that mastery in biotechnology
\nis a must if the country is to improve its industrial and
\nagricultural products.<\/p>\n
The technology, he said, will add to the value of products
\nand, giving them a competitive edge in a tightening world market.<\/p>\n
In Southeast Asia, Thailand and Malaysia lead the
\nbiotechnology field, especially in crop production.<\/p>\n
Irawadi stressed that unless Indonesia adopted modern
\ntechniques of biotechnology, such as creating tissue cultures for
\ngrowing plants of high quality, exploitation of the country's
\nnatural bio-resources will be controlled by other countries.<\/p>\n
\"Currently, judging from the amount of biotechnology being
\napplied to Indonesian products, we must admit that in general we
\nhave a lot to catching up to do with other countries,\" he said
\nduring a press conference.<\/p>\n
Cooperation with other countries, he said, is necessary to
\nguarantee that the exploration and management of bio-resources
\nand the development of biotechnology are carried out responsibly
\nand \"to ensure that everyone gets the same share of the
\nbenefits\".<\/p>\n
To obtain more input on what Indonesia could do to promote the
\ntechnology, BPPT will open a three-day international forum on
\nthe conservation and sustainable use of tropical bio-resources
\nhere tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Jointly sponsored by BPPT, Japan's New Energy Development
\nOrganization and the Japan Biotechnology Association will attend
\nas well as 150 other local and foreign participants.<\/p>\n
Among the topics to be discussed in the forum are ecosystem
\nmanagement in Indonesia, in situ\/ex situ conservation of the
\necosystem and its species, application of genetic engineering and
\nbiotechnology to bio-resource utilization, technology transfer
\nand intellectual property rights and public awareness of
\nconservation and the sustainable use of tropical bio-resources.<\/p>\n
\"The forum will gather and collect ideas about tropical bio-
\nresource management and explore, identify, analyze and discuss
\ntheir applications in the industry,\" Irawadi said.(pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-must-push-biotechnology-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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