Representative of the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas Prakosa Grahayudiandono SE MPA (5 from left) and his staff with ITS leadership after a discussion in the FGD at the ITS Rectorate Building

ITS Campus, ITS News – Currently, the development of startups is increasingly mushrooming in Indonesia, but it is not accompanied by explicit direction and synergy from related stakeholders. In response to these problems, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember  (ITS), together with the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (PPN/Bappenas), held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the theme Evaluation of thematic Digital Startups in Indonesia, Tuesday (5/7).

The FGD, which took place in the Main Meeting Room of the ITS Rectorate Building, brought together practitioners from business incubators and fostered startups in Surabaya, implementing agencies for digital startup development programs and startup business units that were beneficiaries of the coaching program. “Startup institutions that develop in Indonesia have their directions and policies, so there needs to be a synergy between them for further development,” said Prakosa Grahayudiandono SE MPA, representative of the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas.

Prakosa added that this FGD discussion focused on the implementation of business incubation organized by the incubator institution, processes and constraints, and the benefits and evaluations felt by the beneficiaries. “This aims to increase understanding of the practice of monitoring digital startup programs by every institution and business incubator,” said Prakosa.

ITS Vice-Chancellor IV Bambang Pramujati ST MSc Eng Ph.D. when giving a speech for the discussion in the Main Meeting Room of the ITS Rectorate Building

This FGD is expected to be able to broaden the perspective of the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas regarding the mechanism for implementing monitoring, evaluation, and control in the program, as well as obtaining the latest and valid data from the benefits of the program implementation. “We want to dig deeper into the real condition of Indonesian startups so that they can be a reference for the direction of sustainable development in the digital business sector,” said Prakosa in his speech.

On the same occasion, ITS Vice-Chancellor IV Bambang Pramujati ST MSc Eng Ph.D. stated that ITS collects startups developed by students and alumni to be more focused and have good business continuity potential through the ITS Incubator and Innovative Business Services (ILBI). “We advise students and alumni of ITS to be able to become someone who can create jobs,” said Bambang.

Photo with a number of ITS leaders and representatives of the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas in the lobby of the ITS Rectorate Building

Continued by ITS ILBI Senior Manager Ir Baroto Tavip Indrojarwo MSi, ITS, in addition to developing technological innovations, is also a campus that strengthens innovation from the entrepreneurial side. “ITS ILBI opens up as many opportunities as possible and helps direct and even facilitate Indonesian students, especially ITS students, in growing their startup,” he said.

Finally, the Senior Manager of the ITS Alumni and Capital Access Unit, Dr. Machsus ST MT, also welcomed the efforts of the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas to consolidate startups in Indonesia. Machsus believes that this effort has the potential to direct startups to have one common goal so that the digital business development process is more focused. “Hopefully, what has been implemented by ILBI ITS as a business incubator institution can provide a broad view of the mechanism for implementing business incubation,” he concluded. (AJ/ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: Frecia Elrivia Mardianto