Indonesia-Australia Strengthen Science Management to Promote Impactful Research Downstreaming

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Government, through the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek), together with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is strengthening effective science management to realise the downstreaming of impactful research.

Deputy for Human Resources in Science and Technology at BRIN, Edy Giri Rachman Putra, emphasised that the quality of research is not solely determined by the intelligence of researchers, but also by the supporting system.

“A strong research ecosystem is not built solely by research talent. Behind every innovation, there must be effective leadership, competent science managers, and institutions that enable ideas to develop into solutions,” he said at the Indonesia-Australia Science Management & Innovation Symposium 2026 in Jakarta on Tuesday.

“This relates to how we manage funding to connecting research with industry through platforms like the Indonesia Innovation House,” Edy stated.

In agreement, Director for Southeast Asia at CSIRO Australia, Amelia Fyfield, explained the crucial importance of cross-border collaboration to address contemporary challenges.

According to her, Australia and Indonesia have significant interests in research collaboration, particularly on cross-border issues.

“So far, we have collaborated on the energy transition decade, regional data security, to understanding future pandemic risks. Through this science management partnership, we are completing the missing pieces of the puzzle to ensure our innovation ecosystems run in tandem,” Amelia said.

Furthermore, Minister-Counsellor for Human Development and Humanitarian at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Tim Stapleton, appreciated this collaboration, which he views as a transformation towards a more inclusive and impactful partnership.

“Science and technology are the main pillars of the Australia-Indonesia bilateral relationship, with great potential to boost productivity and build human capital. This partnership through the KONEKSI programme and CSIRO has built strong institutional linkages, which will ultimately provide practical insights for the progress of both countries,” Tim Stapleton remarked.