President Prabowo Considers Research Funding from State-Owned Enterprises

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is exploring a significant proposal that would require state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to contribute funding for research. This initiative emerged from the Science, Technology, and Industry Convention held in Jakarta over the weekend.

During his address to approximately 2,000 academics, Prabowo expressed gratitude for the proposals received, stating, "I am very grateful, I briefly read earlier, I heard many very good proposals, very reasonable, and we will follow up on them soon." He specifically highlighted the idea of state-owned industries allocating a portion of their profits to research and innovation as a "good proposal."

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I am very grateful, I briefly read earlier, I heard many very good proposals, very reasonable, and we will follow up on them soon.

However, Prabowo indicated that the government must first assess the financial capacity of SOEs to make such allocations. He noted that SOEs have only recently begun to show profits in the past year. The President is also in the process of streamlining and reorganizing the country's SOEs, with plans to reduce their number from around a thousand to approximately 250 companies, primarily to cut operational costs.

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This is a good proposal.

In addition to research funding, Prabowo also addressed proposals for doctoral scholarships, both for state and private universities. He deemed these proposals "very good" and assured they would be followed up on. The Science, Technology, and Industry Convention (STIC), which Prabowo attended, ran from June 26-28, 2026. The President was present at both the opening and closing ceremonies.

This convention, organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, is an initiative by President Prabowo, with the first STIC held in August 2025. During the convention, Prabowo delivered extensive presentations to academicians, including a nearly five-hour speech on Sunday. The event's theme was 'National Discussion,' reflecting a collaborative approach to advancing science, technology, and industry in Indonesia.

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This is a very good proposal, and we will follow it up.