At the 2026 SATU Indonesia Awards, Chairman of IPB University’s LPA2I Emphasizes Villages as the Epicenter of Change
Villages have great potential to become hubs for innovation capable of driving national development. However, this potential can only flourish if supported by an ecosystem that sustainably connects research, innovation, mentoring, and marketing.
This was conveyed by the Chairman of the Institute for Agromaritime Development and Innopreneurship Acceleration (LPA2I) at IPB University, Dr Handian Purwawangsa, during the Campus Roadshow for the 17th SATU Indonesia Awards 2026, held at the Andi Hakim Nasoetion Auditorium at IPB on Friday, (7/17).
This event, a collaboration between PT Astra International, IPB University, and Kumparan, carried the theme “Villages as the Epicenter of Change: Driving Impact from the Grassroots to the National Level.”
“Indonesia’s development must begin in the villages. If all villages progress, Indonesia will progress. It’s a bit illogical to expect Indonesia to progress if its villages do not, because Indonesia is a collection of villages,” he said.
Therefore, he noted that IPB University, through LPA2I, continues to promote various community service, research, and innovation programs aimed at solving problems in villages. Through this approach, the resulting innovations do not remain merely as research but can be implemented and provide direct benefits to the community.
“One of the biggest challenges in village development today lies not in a lack of potential, but rather in the absence of an ecosystem that connects various stakeholders,” he explained.
In response, IPB University, in collaboration with Astra, has developed the One Village One CEO (OVOC) program and the Astra Prosperous Village Initiative to build an integrated business ecosystem from upstream to downstream. This approach not only focuses on increasing production but also encompasses strengthening innovation, business mentoring, marketing, and the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly businesses.
Dr Handian also revealed that IPB University is building an ecosystem that brings together research, innovation, community needs, and commercialization processes so that research results can be put to immediate use.
One example is the development of technology for coffee, ranging from specialized fertilizers to varieties that are more adaptable to environmental changes.
In addition, IPB is also developing innovations to increase papaya productivity through research on plant disease control, as well as the development of IPB rice seeds that support national food security.
In line with the spirit of the 17th SATU Indonesia Awards 2026 Campus Roadshow, villages are expected to become not only the focus of development, but also hubs for the creation of solutions and change that can benefit the nation as a whole. (*/Rz) (IAAS/STD)
