Innovation downstream is the key to winning today’s super-tight global competition. The orchestration of the National Research and Innovation Agency and the campus is decisive in downstream innovation.

Optimization of innovation from the campus

There have been many success stories from leading campuses worldwide, such as MIT, Stanford, Tokyo Daigaku (Tokyo University), and Tsing-Hua University, which has successfully managed a Technology Transfer Organization and business incubators and supporting devices in various fields. Implementing IT, food, energy, heavy and light equipment engineering innovation programs have succeeded up to the commercialization program stage.

Dr. Nurul Safitri’s dissertation provides several points of critical note for the primary purpose of writing in scientific journals. It provides an up-to-date picture of how most of the Legal Entity State University (PTNBH) campus lecturers are still struggling with the five classic achievements by ten PTNBH campuses. The first goal is to pursue academic promotion. It should have started to be directed towards the contestation of making patents and commercialization oriented.

It was second, changing the mindset of lecturers who were previously only directed to fulfil the obligations of higher education tri dharma (teaching, research, and community service). Thus, hard work and brilliant work are needed to complement the achievements of Tridarma Plus by building an entrepreneurial spirit on campus through its downstream and commercialization programs.

It is third, building significant campus data readiness to monitor the dynamics of the behaviour of lecturers dedicated to producing patents and downstream programs. It also requires serious monitoring. It is fourth changing the mindset of lecturers so that they are oriented towards the entrepreneurial aspect, which requires a humanist approach to change the mentality of lecturers.

Fifth, rearranging the mindset of lecturers and preparing the infrastructure and superstructure tools for big data to transform campus institutions towards the behaviour of their lecturers. This effort requires hard work and intelligent work so that changes in lecturers’ conduct and supporting devices can be monitored measurably and sustainably.

Synchronization of structure, culture and process

A good innovation process starts with reforming the institutional architecture, starting from designing the organization and creating the vertical relationship between study programs, departments, and faculties to the institutional level in the rectorate. Aspects of centralization and decentralization of innovation programs need to be mapped carefully. Then, the cultural aspects of each study program up to the top leadership of the campus must be observed for its development because each campus’s cultural climate is different.

Likewise, in the process of implementing innovation policies, of course, the enabling factors also vary widely. Mapping the diversity of structure, culture, and function (employee performance targets/SKP) must be studied carefully. The synchronization of SKP elements must be checked in a series of significant data utilization on each campus. On the other hand, interactions between SKP elements need to be structured, and innovative human features must be aligned to maintain the sustainability of campus innovation programs.

Dynamic governance must also be built so that organizational agility (agility and flexibility) is always ready to serve teaching and research innovators from campus.

The output in the form of a patent ready to collaborate with the business and industrial world needs to be escorted by an independent institution that is humane and collaborative. Dynamic governance must also be built so that organizational agility (agility and flexibility) is always ready to serve teaching and research innovators from campus. No less important, the diversity of remuneration policies and incentive systems should constantly be updated following the demands of needs and conducive welfare programs.

BRIN and campus orchestration in downstream innovation

The new task of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), which was just formed last year, as an incarnation of the process of merging the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Ministry of Research and Technology, has a very tough task. BRIN was entrusted with planning Innovation programs in many sectors, from food to aviation technology, weapons and other industries.

BRIN must develop innovative works for the nation’s children for national and international programs. BRIN’s new task is to prepare the Regional Innovation Research Agency (Brida) program. How difficult is BRIN’s duty to think of regional innovation programs down to the city-district level, even including innovation programs at the village level that must be developed.

The complexity of managing national innovation in all sectors requires guidance in coordinating activities in various pre-existing institutions, starting from the atomic problem, which was previously managed by the National Atomic Energy Agency (BATAN), the national aviation and space problem (Lapan), the problem development of molecular genetics (Eijkman), to handle the development and cultivation of ornamental fish at the Cibinong Raiser which was previously under the responsibility of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. And there is still a lot of homework to realize innovation programs in various institutions and other sectors under the control of BRIN amidst the challenges of a tremendous era of disruption and turbulence.

The new challenge in today’s era is to choose the paradigm of competing innovation or die. However, don’t just be a mere slogan which is a challenge in the future. It takes careful thought and in-depth study to realize innovation commercially in its implementation. The implementation of the Innovation Thru Imitation learning program needs to be considered. A benchmarking program to other exemplary countries should be carried out so the strategic routing goes smoothly.

We need a collaborative network.

The challenges ahead are implementing innovation and downstream collaboration programs with the business world and industry. This program needs to collaborate with 18 special economic zones (KEK) that the government has determined. The chain of product and service innovation programs initiated from campuses needs to be facilitated by the government, such as the tavern program and matching fund program.

These efforts must be made carefully, prepared, and linked to the SEZ network chain in each region. Thus, what has been downstream from the patents made on campus can be downstream and commercialized in consumer centres in supply chain networks, both domestically and globally, efficiently and effectively.

It is also necessary to think about networks such as factory outlets and a sales system with an online platform. This effort requires inbound and outbound logistics systems and warehousing and designing the commercialization chain. We are still in the stage of thinking about the future direction of innovation-based national and regional competitiveness. The outstanding work of the Indonesian people that must be realized immediately is the downstream of innovation, which is the key to winning today’s super-tight global competition.

Source: Kompas.com January 18, 2023