Government emphasises that research must align with national needs

Research must be formulated based on national needs and problems, so that it is truly required at the implementation stage. Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Development Planning Agency (PPN/Bappenas) emphasises the importance of preparing research that aligns with national needs and problems so that it can be implemented in public policy. Deputy for Human Development and Culture at Bappenas, Pungkas Bahjuri Ali, stated that the main challenge so far has not been the availability of research, but rather its relevance and utilisation in the policymaking process. “Research must be prepared based on national needs and problems, so that it is truly needed at the end of implementation,” said Pungkas during a press conference for the Australia-Indonesia Research, Science, and Innovation Collaboration Forum (KONEKSI) in Jakarta on Tuesday. He agreed that science should serve as a compass in development. According to him, there are three main challenges in grounding research into policy. First, from the researchers’ side, who need to ensure their research results are relevant. Second, from the government’s side as the off-taker, which must be ready to utilise the research results. Third, how to translate and communicate the research to suit policy needs. Pungkas also emphasised the importance of an evidence-based approach (evidence-based policy) in development planning. On the same occasion, the Director General of Research and Development at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek), Fauzan Adziman, stated that strengthening partnerships with industry is a concrete step to ensure research is more applicable and meets needs. He explained that the government has developed several collaboration programmes, such as the “Industry Invitation” which accommodates problems from the industrial sector to then find solutions from universities, as well as the “Technology Push” which bridges campus innovations with industry partners. Fauzan noted that throughout 2022–2025, 3,653 research collaborations have been funded, involving 2,734 partners with a total investment of Rp3 trillion. Of that amount, 53 percent of the funding comes from industry and 47 percent from the government. “When industry sees the benefits, they will invest more in research,” said Fauzan.