Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) will soon build the Science Techno Park in Kulon Progo regency. It will serve as a teaching industry for the downstreaming of academic product and research to the society through the industry.
Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, M.Sc., Ph.D., said UGM Science Techno Park was a concept initiated by UGM for the downstreaming of innovative research conducted by UGM researches from various disciplines. The Park will also develop vocational education.
“Science Techno Park will start in 2018, and we have prepared research products that are produced at UGM mini-factory,” she said on Tuesday (20/9) after opening UGM Expo 2016 event in the Grha Sabha Pramana Hall (GSP) UGM.
Dwikorita said currently UGM had developed health products, such as robot for post-stroke patients, hydrocephalus semilunar valve, and heart ring, in a limited scale. The Science Techno Park will produce a bigger scale, not only for use at the Faculty of Medicine UGM, but also for wider use. The production of this kind is to reduce dependency on imported products, which is currently as high as 90%.
“UGM wants to produce our own health products to replace the imported products so these would become affordable,” she said.
Agroindustrial products will also be developed by the Park, whether food or non-food, including cocoa or goat milk procesing, also primary and secondary processing of timber, new and renewable energy products, manufacture, engineering, and ITC.
The construction of the UGM Science Techno Park cooperates with the local government of Kulon Progo and the industry. “The UGM Science Techno Park is expected to trigger the economy of the local people of Kulon Progo,” she added.
UGM Director for Planning and Development, Muhammad Sulaiman, S.T., M.T., D.Eng., said the teaching industry development was aimed at producing human resource qualified for the industry. Other things to be developed here are innovative products that are directly needed by the wider public.