The UGM Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA UGM) has launched an accelerator program to promote the downstream of academic innovations, in collaboration with Volantis Technology, to support academics bringing their innovations to market.
The Dean of FMIPA UGM, Professor Kuwat Triyana, explained that this collaboration with the accelerator was designed to overcome the challenges of implementing research.
“We know that many innovative products in the faculty are funded with billions of rupiah, but there is no pathway to deliver these innovations to society. This is one of our efforts to build an ecosystem for downstream innovative products,” the dean said during Friday’s Jogja Innovator Summit at FMIPA UGM (Oct. 18).
He mentioned that UGM currently has 35 spin-off companies and 30 technologies ready to be developed. Collaboration with industry is expected to incubate these innovations, generating new economic outputs.
“The synergy between Volantis and the university creates a significant entity. The university’s success heavily relies on industrialization, either through startups or collaborations with industry,” Dean Triyana added.
He expressed gratitude for the university’s support in promoting the downstream of academic research at FMIPA UGM through the UGM Science Technopark (STP UGM), which serves as a hub for research and development.
This program was specifically designed to connect innovators with industries needing technology-based solutions.
Professor Sang Kompiang Wirawan, Secretary of the UGM Directorate of Business Development, noted that the FMIPA UGM accelerator program could potentially focus research on industrial needs.
“Innovations that begin at the university must have a clear path toward industrial application. Although we’ve established 30 spin-off companies, there’s still much room for improvement,” Secretary Wirawan stated.
He acknowledged several challenges that make it difficult for research results to enter the market, including a lack of industry-oriented research. Many studies are conducted solely for academic development, without producing marketable products.
“Even if there are products, research typically focuses on micro-scale production, which presents new challenges when scaled up for mass production. Therefore, it’s important for academics to align their research focus with the needs of industry and society,” Secretary Wirawan explained.
Another challenge is the lack of strong connections between universities and industry. Building industry trust in research products takes work.
“There are high opportunities, but also high risks. Building industry trust in just one or two meetings is difficult. Convincing them that a research product has market potential is challenging because the mindset is entirely different,” Secretary Wirawan added.
Bachtiar Rifai, Founder of Volantis, echoed this sentiment. Volantis, as an accelerator and technology support company, was established to bridge the gap between academia and industry. He noted that Yogyakarta is Indonesia’s largest academic hub but lacks a strong industrial base.
“It’s like having a gold mine that hasn’t been dug. So, we’re here as a startup to bridge academia and industry,” Rifai said.
Rifai explained that the FMIPA UGM accelerator program will be conducted in several stages. It will begin with an innovation activation phase in which each department proposes business ideas or innovations ready for incubation.
The selected startups will then be connected with relevant industries.
“Our target is to launch ten startups within one year. In the third or final stage, we will hold a demo day, inviting national and international investors,” Rifai added.
Author: Tasya
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photographer: Donnie