BRIN Head Says Innovation Should Not Always Rely on Advanced Technology, but on Benefits
The Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Arif Satria, has stated that not all societal problems need to be solved with advanced technology. He argued that simple technology, such as rubber shoes made without glue and stitching, is not trivial research but a real solution to meet the needs of underprivileged communities for durable, cheap, and easy-to-maintain footwear. “We provide technological solutions for our less fortunate friends and relatives, so we must have empathy for the community’s needs,” he said at the Indonesia Innovator Award 2026 event in Jakarta, Monday (10/8/2026).
Beyond footwear, Arif highlighted other innovations that are often underestimated, such as technology for making roof tiles from composite coconut fibre and bamboo waste, and an organic waste processing machine called Lahsamor. He admitted that he was once mocked because the Lahsamor machine was considered something that could be made by vocational school (SMK) students. “I was once ridiculed, ‘Why is BRIN developing Lahsamor? An SMK student could make that.’ It is true, the simple technology can be made by anyone, but why hasn’t anyone else done it? The strength of creativity and ideas using simple technology can solve problems,” he said.
According to Arif, the measure of an innovation’s greatness is not solely its level of sophistication, but the creativity behind solving a problem. He stressed that simple technology can be a crucial solution for complex issues like waste management in Indonesia, provided it can be widely adopted and properly implemented by the community. “Sometimes people lack empathy and only want high technology. But later, if everything is high-tech, people will criticise, ‘Why is it so advanced? Is it for the people?’” he continued.
For this reason, BRIN will continue to develop innovations at multiple levels, from simple technologies to advanced ones. All these efforts are directed towards a single goal: providing maximum benefit to the wider community. “Once again, whether it is high technology or advanced technology, the orientation must be on its benefits. We do not avoid simple technology, as long as it is something that has never existed before and is the creativity of our researchers. So, we must continue to appreciate researchers who work with this multi-level technology; the most important thing is solving problems,” concluded Arif Satria.