Indonesians have the capacity to produce products that can benefit the community and the world. However, there is a potential challenge, especially in the commercialization of the innovative products.
By
KOMPAS TEAM
·5 minutes read
Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan
A researcher extracts ketepeng leaves (Cassia alata) and parasites leaves (Dendrophtoe Sp) which are candidates for herbal medicines for Covid-19 at the Cara Pembuatan Obat Tradisional Baik Laboratory (CPOTB) Center for Chemical Research, Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Puspitek, Tangerang South, Banten, Wednesday (6/5/2020).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The birth of a number of innovative products during the Covid-19 pandemic has indicated that despite limitations, Indonesians have the capacity to produce products that can benefit the community and the world. However, there is a potential challenge, especially in the commercialization of the innovative products.
The chairman of the National Research Council, Bambang Setiadi, said in Jakarta on Monday that research work can be called an innovation if the finding or invention can be successfully commercialized. For this reason, the mass production and marketing of inventions should be well prepared beforehand. This indicates that the innovation does not only require the role of researchers but also the participation and involvement of the government and industry to ensure the findings can be commercially produced on an industrial scale.
At present, a number of the innovations have been commercially produced, albeit in a small quantity. Such inventions can enter mass production only if they get support from the government. With the government’s help, they can also compete with similar products from overseas.
Innovation can be used as an economic driver when natural resources begin to deplete or to increase the added value of existing natural resources.
"Innovation is a future economic resource," Bambang said. Innovation can be used as an economic driver when natural resources begin to deplete or to increase the added value of existing natural resources.
In addition to obstacles in the downstream, namely commercialization, obstacles are also found in the upstream, namely the funding for research activities. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the common goal in coping with the disease has helped eliminate the difficulties.
The head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Laksana Tri Handoko, said in Jakarta on Friday that the financing remained the main obstacles faced by a number of research institutions to conduct research and make an innovation. In the current Covid-19 pandemic, the financing of research activities is possible thanks to the reallocation of budgets from other research activities.
Simple and Low Cost Prototype Mechanical Ventilator made by the Sepuluh November Technology Institute at the ITS Robotics Building, Surabaya, East Java, Tuesday (7/4/2020).
He said, the budget for projects which were not urgent was reallocated for research activities related to the handling of Covid-19 and the change, he said, was not questioned by the researchers.
"For example, the budget for the development of hepatitis vaccines was diverted into research activities for Covid-19 vaccines. Then, budget for radar research activities was also reallocated for research activities on the image of the lung condition. These things are actually interesting for researchers, “said Handoko.
Handoko acknowledged the Covid-19 pandemic had also contributed to the change in the research ecosystem. Now, forging a research partnership with number of parties globally or locally has become relatively easy. This change is especially related to research in the health field in which in normal times research institutions tend to be closed and often compete one another.
Felicitations
The secretary-general of the center for molecular biotechnology and Informatics at Padjadjaran University (Unpand) , Bandung, Muhammad Yusuf, said the Covid-19 pandemic raised the awareness of many parties on the importance of research activities, especially related to illness and health. This, for example, resulted in an increase in funding from the Research and Technology Ministry/ National Research and Innovation Agency (Kemenristek / BRIN) and the Finance Ministry\'s Educational Fund Management Agency.
In addition, obtaining the required licenses for the provision of raw materials for research activities related to Covid-19 has also become easier thanks to the recommendation of the National Disaster Management Agency.
"You could say this pandemic has been well coordinated. All parties offer assistance so we can complete research and can help Indonesia deal with the pandemic, "Yusuf said.
Minister of Research and Technology / Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (Menristek / Head of BRIN) Bambang PS Brodjonegoro
In an online interview with Kompas on Monday, Research and Technology /the head of BRIN, Bambang PS Brodjonegoro, said during the Covid-19 period the gap between the research needs and the number of researches that can be materialized had declined significantly.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, namely in March 2020, Bambang said, his office has prepared and provided the financing for number of research activities to help mitigate Covid-19.
In financing the selected research activities, his office also involved the business community as a proposal evaluator, Bambang said, adding that the business players can assess the economic potentials of the proposed research programs.
Bambang said, the government did not just finance research, but also used the inventions for the local hospitals. He cited a number of innovations in the form of ventilators, swab testing kits, and mobile laboratories that were "bought" by the government which distributed them to a number of hospitals or regions in need.
The procurement in large quantities can reduce the production costs so that it can attract the private companies to produce them en masse.
Bambang said, he also proposed to include the innovations into the procurement lists of the Goods and Services Procurement Policy Agency.
In the downstream sector, Bambang said his office was also discussing the possible inclusion of research activities in the minimum local content requirement (TKDN) for foreign products. He hoped the TKDN policy did only calculate the components produced domestically but also research activities.
