President Prabowo Subianto met with 150 researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) at the Presidential Palace on Thursday to emphasize that mastery of science and technology serves as the primary driver of national progress. During the historic gathering, which marked the first time BRIN researchers were invited to the Palace to present their work, the administration highlighted education as the vital foundation required to build high-quality human resources and boost national competitiveness.
Science and Technology as National Drivers
“We all understand that a nation’s development is determined by the capability in science and technology. A nation capable of mastering science and technology will advance rapidly. The key is science and technology,” the head of state emphasized during the meeting.
The President pointed out that achieving this mastery depends directly on the quality of education. “Regarding the mastery of science and technology, education is certainly the most critical foundation,” he noted, adding that Indonesia requires more highly skilled individuals to accelerate technological advancement and enhance competitiveness.
Did You Know? This meeting at the Presidential Palace marked the first time President Prabowo Subianto invited BRIN researchers to present their research achievements.
BRIN Innovation Showcase and Research Clusters
During the visit, researchers displayed approximately 150 to 200 innovation products drawn from 12 distinct research clusters. BRIN Head Arif Satria explained that all exhibited items successfully passed a rigorous curation process to represent the agency’s broad strategic research domains.
“We have around 12 research clusters. After the curation process, we selected approximately 150 to 200 products,” Arif Satria stated. The diverse exhibits span fields such as food, energy, health, transportation, housing, space, aviation, nuclear technology, and rare earth metals. Additional innovations on display support targeted initiatives including the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program and fishing village development.
How can targeted scientific research from agencies like BRIN best accelerate Indonesia’s broader economic and technological competitiveness in the coming years?
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