Most Indonesian research ends up in wastebasket
Most Indonesian research ends up in wastebasket
JAKARTA (JP): Most of the research conducted in Indonesia ends
up in the wastebasket because it has no commercial application, a
senior researcher said yesterday.
Djoko Pitono of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)
also said that most research facilities in Indonesia are being
used by foreign researchers rather than their local counterparts.
He said that research conducted in Indonesia does not reflect
the demands of industry, the development and advancement of which
depends on the existence of strong research and development
agencies, Djoko told an international workshop on the
commercialization of research work.
"Many of our researchers only think about the research,
without bothering about its commercial aspects. That is why much
of the researchers' output lies neglected after its completion,"
Djoko said.
The two-day workshop, titled Commercialization of Research and
Development Output, has been organized by the Science and
Technology Policy Asian Network (STEPAN).
Djoko heads the Indonesian delegation to the meeting, which is
being attended by representatives from 15 other STEPAN member-
countries: Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, South
Korea, Laos, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, New Zealand,
Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Djoko said Indonesia's manufacturing companies have had to
turn to research conducted by foreign researchers because local
research agencies cannot meet their needs.
"That is also one of the things that have prevented our
researchers from improving their skills. On top of that, many
research centers here are used by foreign researchers instead of
local researchers," said Djoko, who heads LIPI's Center of
Science and Technology Analysis Development.
The Indonesian government, he said, has made a commitment to
develop the research and development sector, particularly for the
manufacturing industry.
The government is committed to increasing spending on research
and development (R&D), he said. "R&D spending, currently about
0.3 percent of the government budget, should gradually increase
to 2 percent over the next 25 years," he said.
At the same time, the government is also encouraging the
private sector to invest more in research and development, he
said, adding that if private sector now still accounts for only
20 percent of total research spending, its contribution is
expected to reach 60 percent within the next 25 years.
STEPAN chairman Rahardi Ramelan of the Indonesian National
Development Planning Board said in his opening remarks that the
weak link between the worlds of industry and research is common
to most developing countries.
"One of the aims of this workshop is to share together the
wide range of problems that are experienced by STEPAN member-
countries in implementing the commercialization of research and
development outputs," Rahardi said. (31)