At least 205 laboratories at Universitas Gadjah Mada have been equipped with advanced equipment to encourage academic activities and innovative research. Those laboratories are expected to produce the innovative and applicative products that can be directly utilized by the government and society. “Because the vision of UGM is not only to send its staff or alumni to take part in society and government but also produce science and technology for the society,” said Vice Rector of Research and Community Services, Prof. Dr. Suratman, M.Sc., after attending the handover ceremony of laboratory equipment at the Integrated Research and Testing Laboratory UGM on Tuesday (25/7).
Suratman said, in these past 5 years, UGM has been improving the laboratory equipment through the procurement of more advanced and sophisticated laboratory equipment in order to follow the development of science and technology in the world. All this while, according to Suratman, there was much research that was not supported by the latest laboratory equipment. “I saw much research that need to be innovative and updated, but it turned out that they used inaccurate equipment. Therefore, procurement of laboratory equipment is essential,” he added.
Suratman said the research laboratories that are being developed not only include fundamental research but also aim to produce an innovative product that can be utilised by the users. One of them is Electronic nose (e-nose), the smell detector which is used to detect drugs. “E-nose research has entered the third year and currently it is being processed to be patented and there has been a prototype of it,” said Suratman.
However, Suratman hopes UGM researchers not only depend on research funds from the university but also from partners and industries, particularly for the research.
The Secretary of Integrated Research and Testing Centre (LPPT) UGM, Dr. Kuwat Triyana, said around 70% of facilities in UGM laboratories have been equipped with sophisticated equipment. However, not all laboratories are equipped simultaneously because the procurement mechanism uses an application, namely laboratories information system (silab.ugm.ac.id). This information system can recognize the kinds of equipment needed by every faculty and it even helps the researchers or the other parties know the equipment in laboratories that can be used to test their products. “This year, around 4.13 billion rupiahs are allocated for the procurement of laboratories equipment,” said Kuwat Triyana.
LPPT, according to Kuwat, will keep increasing the quantity and quality of laboratories equipment in all faculties through the increase of management system as well as the update of data and documents, thus UGM laboratories can implement good laboratory practice.