LIPI seeks private participation in R&D

LIPI seeks private participation in R&D

JAKARTA (JP): The new chairman of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Soefjan Tsauri, said yesterday he would seek the involvement of more private institutions in research activities.

"The private sector's participation in research and development activities is far from optimum," he told journalists after being sworn in as the new LIPI chairman.

Sofyan, 53, was sworn in by Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono. He replaced Samaun Samadikun, who will return to the Bandung Institute of Technology as a lecturer and researcher.

He said that although "a few" local companies have done their own industrial development research, most are still financially dependent on the government.

Quoting LIPI statistics, he said the private sectors' participation in the activities of research and development is estimated at about 15 percent.

Soefjan was, however, optimistic that the private sector would increase its participation in line with the newly introduced Partnership Research Program (RUK) that is expected to promote the development of industrial technology.

Under the program that started last year, the private sector is expected to shoulder 60 percent and the government only 40 percent. The government will provide Rp 2 billion (US$870,000) for every research project.

Soefjan, with three daughters, hails from the northern coastal town of Gresik in East Java. A chemist by training, he graduated from the Bandung Institute of Technology in 1969.

He obtained his masters degree from Macquire University, Australia, in 1972 and his doctorate degree at ITB in 1985.

Joining LIPI in 1972 as an assistant researcher, he is the first chairman who comes from within the institute. His predecessors were all picked from college academics. (imn)