The Faculty of Engineering, University of Indonesia (FTUI), through its Collaboration, Venture, and Entrepreneurship Unit, once again held the “Technopreneur Spark” event at the Smart Meeting Room of the FTUI Dean’s Building (March 19). This event featured Rafi Syifa Kurniawan from Ecoxyztem Venture Builder as the main speaker, and the theme was “Why Engineers Should Think Like Entrepreneurs?”
In his presentation, Rafi, also an Alumni of FTUI’s Environmental Engineering program, emphasized the importance for engineers to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset in facing global challenges such as the climate crisis and cybersecurity. According to him, technopreneurship allows technology-based innovations to develop into real solutions with wide-reaching impacts. With this approach, engineers not only focus on solving technical problems but also on creating value and developing sustainable businesses.
Furthermore, he explained the fundamental differences between technopreneurship and conventional entrepreneurship. “Unlike traditional businesses that focus on existing markets, technopreneurship emphasizes technological innovation to create solutions that can scale widely and disruptively. Although it carries higher risks, this approach offers faster growth opportunities and a greater impact,” explained Rafi.
To become a successful technopreneur, individuals must be brave enough to start small, build networks, and continuously hone entrepreneurial skills. Support from acceleration programs, mentoring, and ecopreneur communities such as XSEED from Ecoxyztem can help them develop ideas into growing businesses. With the right combination of innovation and business strategies, engineers can contribute significantly to creating a more sustainable future and having a positive impact on society and the environment.
The Dean of FTUI, Prof. Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., separately stated, “We hope that through events like this, FTUI students will be more motivated to develop innovative ideas that not only have academic value but also provide real solutions to industry and societal problems. The technopreneurship mindset must become part of the academic culture at FTUI.”
The event also featured a discussion and Q&A session, where the participants, who were mostly FTUI students, showed great enthusiasm in asking questions and engaging in direct discussions with the speaker. With the successful organization of “Technopreneur Spark,” FTUI hopes to continue fostering the emergence of young technopreneurs who are ready to compete on the global stage.
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering, University of Indonesia
