Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) welcomed the team from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology for discussions and to visit its research facilities on November 2-3, 2023.
This visit is about the implementation of a grant program called “Promoting Research and Innovation through Modern and Efficient Science and Techno Park (PRIME STeP),” which involves four universities in Indonesia: UGM, IPB University, Bandung Institute of Technology, and the University of Indonesia.
“We want to learn more about how far this project has been executed and what challenges are faced. We aim to meet directly with startup players and UGM researchers to have discussions with them,” explained the PRIME STeP Program Manager, Professor Paulina Pannen, on Thursday (November 2) at the UGM Teaching Industry Learning Center (TILC).
The PRIME STeP program initiated by ADB in collaboration with the ministry is part of an effort to amplify research commercialization.
The collaboration established through this program is expected to have a positive impact on the educational ecosystem and the manifestation of an outstanding Science Techno Park, generating various highly competitive innovations and technologies.
At UGM, the implementation of PRIME STeP is under the coordination of the Directorate of Business Development.
In this meeting, the Director of Business Development, Dr. Hargo Utomo, presented the concept of the UGM Science Techno Park, which seeks to build connections and synergies among universities, industries, and other stakeholders.
“UGM campus is a science technopark. In recent years, we’ve been developing concepts that connect all of it,” Dr. Utomo stated.
On the first day of their visit, the ADB and ministry team held discussions with the UGM financial team regarding the reporting of grants, including the innovation grant, startup grant, and tenant grant.
They also toured various UGM research facilities used in the grant execution and discussed with several incubated startup companies from the Directorate of Business Development.
The newly implemented PRIME STeP program for the first year has produced 37 innovations from the innovation grant, ten selected startups from the startup grant, and six potential tenants from the tenant grant.
These innovations are expected to have a positive impact on technological advancement, the transfer of knowledge from universities to society, and the growth of science and innovation ecosystems within the university environment.
On the second day, the team held a mini-workshop on the collection and management of research data in implementing PRIME STeP at UGM, followed by a discussion session on research innovation and startup incubation.
Author: Gloria