To encourage holistic agricultural innovation, Smart City Universitas Indonesia (UI) in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) researched the role of universities in realizing a dynamic agricultural innovation ecosystem in West Java. This research aims to identify the innovation ecosystem in Indonesia and find the relationship between all actors involved in the ecosystem.
Based on the Ministry of National Development Planning Regulation No. 5/2020, agriculture is one of the priority sectors in Indonesia. Agriculture has a direct impact on food security, as Indonesia is a country with the largest rice consumption in the world. In the study, West Java was chosen as the research area because it is a concentrated place for research and innovation among reputable universities, especially related to agrotechnology and agribusiness topics. In addition, this agricultural innovation research is also supported by the Governor of West Java through the 2020-2024 Regional Medium-Term Development Plan.
This collaborative research is part of the Higher Education Institutions Generating Holistic and Transformative Solutions (HEIGHTS) project and the Supporting Holistic Actionable Research in Education (SHARE) sub-project. To share the research results and gather feedback from various stakeholders, Smart City UI held a research dissemination event on Wednesday (23/8) at Aloft TB Simatupang Hotel, South Jakarta.
The event was attended by a representative from USAID Mission Indonesia, Dr. Donald Tambunan, and 29 participants who were leaders or representatives from the innovation directorates of the universities that were sampled, as well as lecturers or student innovators. Present were several representatives of universities throughout Indonesia such as Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Pasundan University (UNPAS), Padjajaran University (UNPAD), Hasanuddin University, Andalas University and others. Also present were representatives from government agencies, such as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology; the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN); the National Planning and Development Agency; and the Bandung City Food Security and Agriculture Office.
UI Smart City Advisor, Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU, said that the active involvement of universities in the agricultural innovation ecosystem in West Java is a fundamental pillar in realizing the transformation of the agricultural sector. According to him, the research findings presented in the dissemination of research results illustrate the extraordinary potential of this collaboration to create sustainable and revolutionary solutions.
“We hope that the results of this research will serve as a foundation for further steps in strengthening synergies between educational institutions and related parties in the agricultural sector, for a more sustainable and innovative future of Indonesian agriculture,” said Prof. Heri, who also serves as Dean of the UI Faculty of Engineering.
Through this research, Smart City UI studied West Java as a regional innovation ecosystem and agriculture as a domain-specific system to study ecosystem functions, the presence of actors, including universities and the quality of collaboration between actors. The results are expected to provide lessons and practices that can be transferred to other innovation ecosystems to strengthen the ecosystem and the involvement of universities in innovation in Indonesia.
Chief Researcher of HEIGHTS Indonesia Project and Smart City Advisor UI, Ahmad Gamal, S.Ars., M.Si., MUP, Ph.D., emphasized that the main purpose of research is to encourage deeper innovation and create space for the growth of educated individuals. He said, “Research should result in inventions to foster opportunities for trained human resources. Innovation should be a means for people in higher education to understand and create new methods so that they have a relevant impact on real-world problems.”
To implement the results of this research, the government expressed its support for universities involved in the innovation ecosystem with a focus on the agricultural sector. Acting. Director of Research and Innovation Partnership at BRIN, Dr. Muhammad Amin, S.T., M.Si., said that there are several regulations prepared to support research and innovation, one of which is tax deduction. “Agriculture is a national priority sector. Therefore, in addition to regulations, BRIN also provides human resource development programs to improve global competitiveness. One of the programs developed is through the talent scouting program,” said Dr. Muhammad Amin.
The two-year research is now in its third or final phase, after phase one was conducted from February to May 2022, and phase two in August 2022. In phase one, a literature review and identification of key stakeholders were conducted, while in phase two, two workshops were held using system thinking and actor mapping methods. In the future, the results of this research will be used to strengthen collaborative synergies and stimulate the growth of a more resilient innovative ecosystem in the West Java agricultural sector.
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Bureau of Public Communication
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia