The 28th commemoration of National Technology Awakening Day (Hakteknas) is a momentum to encourage the development of research and innovation in order to increase the nation’s competitiveness. Hakteknas can be used as a benchmark to always improve the quality of research and innovation and become a starting point in developing Indonesia as a civilized, technological and future-looking nation.
This year’s Hakteknas commemoration was held by the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research and Technology (Ditjen Diktiristek) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) at Plaza Tenggara Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta. The Hakteknas exhibition was held to introduce the results of higher education innovations more closely to the public.
Universitas Indonesia (UI) presented innovations in the health sector, such as the Covent-20 Ventilator, Flocked Swab, Virna Glaucoma Implant, PlasmaFan, KODC Dengue, and Sambiloto Capsules for preventing heart damage due to chemotherapy. Two superior innovations from the MF Kedaireka UI Funding were included in the booth of the Directorate General of Education and Technology of the Ministry of Education and Culture to be exhibited as one of the six superior innovations of higher education institutions. The two superior innovations were NanBiVac (NanB Sialidase Nebulized Vaccine and Hemagglutinin Protein Particles combined), with the lead researcher, Prof. Dr. Amin Soebandrio, and Rice Husk Silica, with the lead researcher Prof. Dr. Ir. Johny Wahyuadi.
Director of the Directorate of Innovation and Science Techno Park (DISTP), Ahmad Gamal, S.Ars., M.Si., MUP, Ph.D, said, “UI through DISTP, continues to encourage researchers to conduct research according to market needs, so that research does not only end at the laboratory scale. In the momentum of the Hakteknas Exhibition, we hope that the research produced by UI can be known and utilized more widely by the public.”
This exhibition displayed more than 145 innovative products that have been tested, including 31 innovative products in the food sector, 32 innovative products in the energy sector, 59 innovative products in the health sector, nine electric vehicle products, and 14 other research and innovation products with participants from academic and vocational tertiary institutions, as well as the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
Research in higher education must be based on science and evidence-based, which can provide solutions and can be implemented in society, as well as provide beneficial value both through commercialization and dissemination. “The hope is that by continuing to celebrate National Technology Awakening Day, Indonesia is committed to strengthening its own technological base and becoming a stronger player on the global technology stage,” said Gamal at the exhibition which was held on 11th-13th of August 2023.