On Tuesday (07/02), the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (FTUI) received socialization of the UI Incubate 2023 Funding Program from the Directorate of Innovation and Science Techno Park (DISTP) UI. This socialization was attended by Ahmad Gamal, S.Ars., M.Sc., MUP, Ph.D., Director of Innovation and Science Techno Park (DISTP) UI and Dr. Muhamad Sahlan, S.Sc., M.Eng., Head of the FTUI Innovation Entrepreneurial Unit. Prasandhya Astagiri Y., S.Sc., M.T., Ph.D., Head of Sub Directorate of Business Incubator of DISTP UI, and Tri Hardimasyar, Vice President of Technology Innovation and Corporate Business Incubation of PT PLN (Persero) were also present as resource persons at this activity.
UI Incubate itself is a program to encourage the growth and development of innovation-based University Startup Companies belonging to UI lecturers, students, and alumni. This program begins with pre-incubation programs such as Independent Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship Courses, and Bootcamp Training. To take part in UI Incubate, the proposer team must consist of the main proposer (1 lecturer) and the proposer members (3-5 UI students and/or alumni). The proposing team also needs to prepare a proposal that includes ideas, prototypes, and ready-to-sell products. Participants who pass the selection stage will have the opportunity to take part in an incubation program scheme consisting of Problem Solution Fit, Product Market Fit, and Scale Up.
In his remarks, Ahmad Gamal, S.Ars., M.Sc., MUP, Ph.D., said that “DISTP UI tries to seize startup development opportunities in various phases. Based on the results of our evaluations in previous periods, in 2023 the funding that DISTP will provide will cover the Problem Solution Fit, Product Market Fit, and Scale Up phases. In these phases, we hope to be able to support UI students to validate problems so that they can commercialize innovations that are solutions to existing problems in society. We have high hopes for FTUI, which has many potential innovative products to be developed further in this business incubation program. “
Dr. Muhamad Sahlan, S.Sc., M.Eng., stated in his remarks that “The FTUI Innovation Entrepreneurial Unit is also developing an entrepreneurship ecosystem through work programs such as Entrepreneurship Seminar¸ Entrepreneurship Camp, and Business Competitions. We also hope that the entrepreneurship work program that we have developed can also encourage FTUI startups to develop cross-faculty collaboration at the UI level and further develop the UI Incubate ecosystem. “
In his presentation, Prasandhya Astagiri Y., S.Si., M.T., Ph.D. said, “The UI Incubate Program also has an invention auction scheme for inventors who already have innovative products with registered intellectual property on behalf of the Universitas Indonesia. Inventors can submit a statement of willingness to take part in the invention auction to DISTP UI to then meet with prospective co-founders and develop a business plan together.”
This socialization was also attended by the Vice President of Technology Innovation and Corporate Business Incubation of PT PLN (Persero) who explained that “PT PLN (Persero) has the potential to develop Energy as a Service on the operational side such as emissions related to the environment, integration of Enterprise Asset Management, implementation of Digital Power Plants, and others. For this reason, we hope to work with UI, especially FTUI, to develop startups in the field of Energy as a Service.”
Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, ST., M.Eng., IPU also added, “The FTUI entrepreneurial ecosystem development process needs to be integrated with existing programs at the UI level such as UI Incubate owned by DISTP UI. Apart from that, collaboration on innovation and entrepreneurship also needs to pay attention to the needs of industries such as PT PLN (Persero) with a list of potential Energy as a Service.”
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Bureau of Public Communications
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia