The rapid development of information technology in Indonesia is progressing in parallel with the increasing penetration of internet users.
According to data from the 2024 survey by the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII), the internet penetration rate in Indonesia increased to 79.5 percent, up from 73.7 percent in 2020, with 221,563,479 people connected out of a total population of 278.6 million.
This development of technology, information, and internet penetration is crucial for driving the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), particularly those that utilize the Internet of Things (IoT) and 3D printing technology.
Various uses of the internet through the Internet of Things (IoT), which connects all devices to the internet, make everything automated. According to Asia IoT Business Research (2019), only 8.9 percent of companies in Indonesia have adopted IoT.
This number is still lower than Thailand, which has reached 10.7 percent. However, IoT adoption in Indonesia outperforms Malaysia (5.1 percent), the Philippines (2.8 percent), and Vietnam (2.1 percent).
Nazrul Effendy, a lecturer at the UGM Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM), stated that in this era of the Internet of Things, micro-business entrepreneurs must work hard to compete in the global market. Technology innovation is one key to growing and thriving.
Effendy conveyed this during a seminar titled “Discussing the Use of the Internet of Things (IoT) to Support MSME Production” at the UMKM CLASS SERIES #8 with the theme “Utilizing Internet of Things (IoT) and 3D Printing Technology for MSMEs.”
He explained that IoT refers to a network of interconnected physical devices, such as sensors, mobile devices, vehicles, and other equipment. Through internet connectivity, these devices can communicate with each other and collect usefuldata for various needs.
“The biggest opportunity IoT offers MSMEs is the ability to collect and analyze data in real-time,” he explained at UGM on Tuesday (Sep. 4).
As a speaker at UMKM CLASS SERIES #8, hosted by the UGM Directorate of Community Service, Effendy emphasized the crucial role of Internet of Things (IoT) technology in supporting MSME businesses.
He explained that IoT enhances business operations by improving efficiency, boosting customer experiences, expanding access to global markets, strengthening security and reliability, and driving innovation in products and services.
Another speaker, Dr. Herianto from FT UGM, revealed that MSMEs currently face challenges in innovating to create increasingly dynamic competition. One innovation opportunity is the advent of 3D printing technology, which has penetrated many areas of application.
“This product has become one of the keys to MSME success, especially in the physical layer aspect. The technology allows users to print a digital model into a physical object that matches the original design, from simple objects to complex geometries,” he explained.
Discussing the potential and utilization of 3D printing for MSME development, Dr. Herianto explained that 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has become popular and widely used in various fields.
Besides aiding in the creation of prototypes before a product is mass-produced, other benefits of 3D printing include saving time and costs for developing new products, offering the freedom to create product designs, providing opportunities to make custom products, and even being used in the healthcare field to print artificial organs and bones.
Director of Community Service, Dr. Rustamaji, stated that the increasingly dynamic development of technology is essential to support the advancement of MSME entrepreneurs.
Stakeholders need to educate people on the importance of adopting, utilizing, and using IoT and 3D printing technology to enhance and advance MSMEs.
One such effort is through this training, organized by the Directorate of Community Service.
“This training aims to increase MSME entrepreneurs’ knowledge in utilizing IoT and 3D printing technology to improve product competitiveness,” he stated.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Afif