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)