Jakarta (VNA) - The Indonesian government has allocated an additional 4 trillion IDR (about 230 million USD) to the country's 2026 research budget, reinforcing efforts to build an integrated science, technology and innovation ecosystem in support of its strategic development goals.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Prasetyo Hadi said the additional funding was proposed by President Prabowo Subianto, who has called for research activities to be more closely aligned with the practical needs of the economy.
The additional budget will be jointly managed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) to ensure a coordinated approach to research activities nationwide.
The Indonesian government is seeking to shift toward a more integrated research model, linking science and technology programmes directly with national development priorities, including food and energy self-sufficiency, industrialisation and downstream development.
Priority research areas include waste management, new energy development, fuel transition and technologies with practical applications that deliver tangible socio-economic benefits rather than focusing solely on academic publications.
Previously, Indonesia's national research budget for 2026 was estimated at around 12 trillion IDR (about 690 million USD), with the public sector serving as the main source of funding for science and technology.
Indonesian researchers have welcomed the increased investment as part of a long-term strategy to strengthen the country's competitiveness, foster innovation and support its industrialisation goal./.
