Prabowo Pledges to Increase Research Budget: 'We Must Correct Ourselves as a Nation'
President Prabowo Subianto, in a briefing before 150 researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), has pledged to increase the research budget, which is currently considered low.
According to Prabowo, a nation’s progress is determined by its mastery of science and technology.
“We must correct ourselves as a nation. Our investment in research and development is very small, far from what it should be. This is a correction for us, and going forward we will strive to improve it,” said President Prabowo while speaking before 150 BRIN researchers and a number of state officials at the Palace on Thursday, 6 August 2026.
Therefore, the President continued, increasing the research budget will require substantial funds. The President expressed confidence that the additional funding can be obtained from budget savings, as well as eradicating and preventing corrupt practices, including fraud such as under-invoicing, and improving governance across all ministries, agencies and state-owned enterprises.
President Prabowo met face-to-face for the first time with 150 BRIN scientists and researchers from various regions. During the meeting, President Prabowo also viewed first-hand the results of the research and innovation they have carried out during their service at BRIN.
“I deliberately invited you to the Palace because I wanted to see, perhaps for the first time, not in too much detail and not too comprehensively, but to get an overview of the results you have achieved at BRIN,” said President Prabowo.
On the same occasion, President Prabowo also expressed his hope to visit BRIN research laboratories and campuses in a number of regions.
Head of BRIN Arif Satria, in his introductory remarks delivered before the President’s briefing, said that the meeting at the Palace today was an honour for BRIN researchers.
“This opportunity is a tremendous honour for us, and certainly makes us even more enthusiastic about innovating. In addition, this activity reflects the President’s strong commitment that research and innovation are important foundations in realising an advanced, independent and competitive Indonesia towards Golden Indonesia 2045,” said Arif Satria.
President Prabowo spent more than an hour touring to see first-hand the research results of scientists in various fields, including nuclear and space, health, food security, energy independence, seeds, medicines and bioindustry.