Prabowo Enthusiastically Reviews BRIN's Technological Developments and Research Results

President Prabowo Subianto toured the central courtyard of the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, spending more than an hour viewing various research results and innovations by researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). More than 150 researchers and scientists from across Indonesia exhibited and directly explained their work to President Prabowo at the Palace. The research results displayed largely support the priority programmes of President Prabowo’s administration, including the giant sea wall, Free Nutritious Meals (MBG), People’s Schools (SR), roof tile replacement programme, waste processing, and other programmes such as energy self-sufficiency, food security, defence and security, and the three million homes programme. Accompanied by Head of BRIN Arif Satria and Deputy Head of BRIN Amarulla Octavian, President Prabowo first visited the Aerospace and Space Technology booth. A BRIN researcher there explained an Indonesian-made satellite camera technology. The device was built at a BRIN laboratory in Bogor, West Java, and has been used for mapping, including mapping disaster impacts. The President then proceeded to inspect three technologies supporting the giant sea wall programme, including a multifunctional vertical seawall with electricity generation and wave breakers already installed on several Indonesian beaches. At the Nuclear Technology booth, President Prabowo stopped for a considerable time and conversed with several accompanying ministers. These included Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, Communication and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid, Head of the North Java Coast Management Authority Didit Herdiawan Ashaf, and Danantara CTO Sigit P. Santosa. The BRIN researcher explained that researchers are ready to support the government’s plan to build nuclear power plants (PLTN). The researcher noted that Indonesia has a potential 89,000 tonnes of uranium and 143,000 tonnes of thorium. The researcher also stated that BRIN scientists have successfully purified uranium up to 60 percent. ‘This is our capability to purify uranium up to 60 percent,’ the BRIN researcher said. Prabowo then hurriedly asked the researcher to turn off the microphone. The researcher continued the explanation without the mic, and the details were no longer audible. Prabowo appeared quite enthusiastic listening about the nuclear technology. A total of 15 booths from various research and innovation fields were visited by the President. These booths derived from eight national research agendas, covering aerospace and space, water security, nuclear power, energy and minerals, environment and waste management, housing and disaster management, health, transportation, free nutritious meals, food and agriculture, education, fisheries, defence and security, and cultural heritage preservation. In a separate session, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, who also serves as the President’s spokesperson, explained that the research results displayed at the Palace were not merely a showcase. ‘This is a marker that Indonesia has real capacity to independently answer the nation’s strategic needs, particularly in strategic fields such as food, energy, water, health, defence, and national industrialisation,’ said Prasetyo Hadi.