Soft Opening of ITB Innovation Park Bandung Technopolis

BANDUNG, dkst.itb.ac.id – Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) through the Directorate of Science and Technology Area (DKST) held the Soft Opening event for ITB Innovation Park (IIP) Bandung Technopolis in Gedebage, Bandung, on Friday (December 6, 2024). This event marks an important initial step in strengthening the technology-based innovation ecosystem in Indonesia.

IIP Bandung Technopolis is one of ITB's strategic projects funded through the PRIME STeP (Promoting Research and Innovation through Modern and Efficient Science and Technology Parks) program from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) using a loan budget from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The PRIME STeP program aims to accelerate the downstreaming of innovation and research from campuses in Indonesia, with the current beneficiaries being four renowned universities: ITB, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), University of Indonesia (UI), and Bogor Agricultural University (IPB).

The Rector of ITB, Prof. Reini Wirahadikusumah, Ph.D., emphasized the importance of responsibility in utilizing this PRIME STeP funding. "This funding is a loan, so ITB has a huge responsibility to ensure that every rupiah used must provide a real impact in accordance with the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that have been set. In fact, there must be motivation to produce more than the planned targets," said Prof. Reini.

Meanwhile, the Director of Science and Technology Area of ITB, Ir. R. Sugeng Joko Sarwono, M.T., Ph.D., stated that IIP Bandung Technopolis will strengthen ITB's position as a center for innovation development. "This area is designed to be the upstream hub for innovation products developed by ITB's multi-campuses, which are spread across Bandung, Jatinangor, Cirebon, and Jakarta. With IIP, we can facilitate the integration among research, technology development, and the downstreaming of innovation products," said Mr. Joko.

IIP Bandung Technopolis carries the technopolis concept that provides comprehensive facilities, such as business incubators and accelerators, research laboratories, and collaboration spaces to support startups, fledgling companies, and industries. This area of nearly 40,000 square meters is focused on strategic sectors, including information and communication technology (ICT), infrastructure and disaster management, food and health, artificial intelligence (AI), transportation, energy, and renewable energy.

The PRIME STeP program is expected not only to strengthen the innovation ecosystem at ITB but also to provide a broad impact for the Indonesian people through close collaboration among academia, industry, government, and society. With the presence of IIP Bandung Technopolis, ITB is committed to continuing to encourage the birth of innovative solutions that can provide tangible benefits to the wider community.

This Soft Opening event simultaneously serves as the initial milestone in the journey of IIP Bandung Technopolis as a center of innovation and strategic collaboration, bringing ITB closer to its aspiration of becoming a higher education institution that can support and sustain Indonesia into an innovation-based nation.