Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said on Thursday to increase funding for research, saying the country’s investment in research and development remained inadequate to support national progress.
Addressing around 150 researchers from Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Prabowo said a nation’s progress depends on its mastery of science and technology, stressing that research requires substantial and sustained funding.
“We must be self-critical as a nation. Our investment in research and development is very small, far below what it should be. We must correct this, and we will work to improve it,” Prabowo said.
He said additional funding could be secured through budget savings, stronger governance and efforts to eradicate corruption and fraudulent practices, including under-invoicing, across government institutions and state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
The meeting marked Prabowo’s first face-to-face session with 150 BRIN scientists and researchers from across Indonesia.
During the event, he reviewed research and innovation projects in fields including nuclear technology and space, healthcare, food security, energy self-sufficiency, seeds development, pharmaceuticals and the bioindustry.
“I invited you to the palace because I wanted to see, perhaps for the first time, not in great detail or comprehensively, but at least to get an overall picture of what you have achieved at BRIN,” Prabowo said
He also expressed hope that he would be able to visit BRIN laboratories and research facilities in various parts of the country.
BRIN Chair Arif Satria said the meeting was a great honor for the agency’s researchers and reflected the president’s commitment to making research and innovation a cornerstone of Indonesia’s long-term development.
“The opportunity is a great honor for us and will motivate us to continue innovating. It also reflects the president’s strong commitment that research and innovation are essential foundations for building an advanced, self-reliant and globally competitive Indonesia in line with the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision,” Satria said.
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Translator: Genta/Fathur, Kuntum Khaira
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
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