Bogor Agricultural University in Cooperation with Kemenristekdikti RI Organized FOOD INDUSTRY FORUM for Food Self-Reliance
Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenristekdikti) is ready to bridge the concept of collaboration between academia, private sectors, government, and society in order to utilize research results to support national food self-sufficiency. This was stated by Directorate General of Innovation Strengthening of Kemenristekdikti RI, Dr. Ir. Jumain Appe, M.Si in the Food Industry Forum with theme "Kolaborasi Pemanfaatan Hasil Riset dalam Rangka Mendukung Kemandirian Pangan Nasional = Collaboration of Utilization of Research Results in Order to Support National Food Self-Reliance." The event was held at IPB International Convention Center (IICC) Bogor, on 24 May 2017.
Dr. Jumain said that such event was important, considering that most of global agricultural and livestock commodities thrive in Indonesia. However, he explained, as an agricultural country we are not yet independent in the field of food. "This is an important concern of how to become an independent country," he said.
He said today we have over 4,000 universities spread all over Indonesia. In addition, our markets are large enough, but we have not produced highly competitive products yet, so our market are filled by overseas products. "We have high potential to develop strong food industry and the potential market, thus we have to be competitive to enable us to market our products. Indonesia is the 41 most competitive nation in the world out of 138 countries ranked in the 2016-2017. Thus, Human Resource Development, especially improving professional performance is really needed to produce quality research and innovation. How do we integrate our resource, not working alone, "he said.
Similar statement was given by Rector of the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), that the management methods utilized for our natural resources into food production such as agriculture, livestock and fishery in Indonesia are not only utilizing old touch technology patterns but also less innovation for its production. The marketable research results are indispensable to the process of agricultural transformation, as currently it has arrived at the fourth generation era (Agriculture / Farming 4.0). Rector had been very optimistic that such forum will produce expected output, but to reach such better goal hard works are really required.
The emergence of agricultural innovation requires the support and collaboration of different knowledge and innovation modes via triple helix to quadro helix, namely Academician, Business, and Government, plus Community (A-B-G-C) which later developed further with the help of media (M) into the concept of penta helix. The collaboration in the downstream of research and innovation is needed in all food industry value chains consisting of on-farm production, processing, manufacturing, distribution / trading and consumer.
This Food Industry Forum which was organized jointly by Kemenristekdikti RI with IPB was expected to strengthen national food independence through increased collaboration of various parties in utilizing research and innovation resulted by universities and other research institutions. In particular, the forum, was expected to map down problem encounter by those universities and research institutions in hilirisasi (down streaming) their research / innovation products. In addition, the Forum would also seek the most appropriate model of stakeholder collaboration that are applicable to various models of higher education governance and other research institutions. The process of knowledge exchange related to hilirisasi will apply the concept of "Community of Practices (CoP)" where the practitioners will be channelized for online and offline intensive communications.
The forum provided opportunity to exhibit the innovative products from various universities and companies throughout Indonesia. In addition the Organizing Committee also set the talk show and sharing session. (Wied)
