UNS — Together with the opening of Semesta Program 2021, Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta opens a business incubator known as UNS Innovation Hub (I-Hub) on Friday (21/5/2021). UNS i-hub is a division under the Directorate of Innovation and Downstreaming that facilitates activities to promote research and innovation results in UNS. In addition, UNS I-Hub also facilitates the development of new ideas, channeling creativity, and accelerates innovation with the main agenda of developing a business ecosystem and startup incubation.
As a country ranked fourth in terms of population density, Indonesia has excellent market potential. With support from quality human resources, Indonesian product competitiveness could be improved in the following years. Innovation from startup businesses also has the potential solution to achieve economic independence, reducing imports and increasing export.
UNS I-Hub is developed after the university observed the opportunity in creativity and innovation development, which is considered the key for a nation’s development. University with competent intellectual resources has a high potential of utilizing this opportunity. This potential will bring optimum results with proper management that connects with the industry to create a new business ecosystem.
“UNS Innovation Hub is a media that bring together the innovators, investors, and other related parties. It will develop new ideas, talent scouting from tenants to channel their creativity and innovation in UNS Innovation Hub,” Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation Affairs UNS, Prof. Kuncoro Diharjo, stated.
Based on its function UNS I-Hub develops its structured business model into three phases, pre-incubation, incubation, and post-incubation. The pre-incubation stage aims to build a startup ecosystem, talent scouting, RG, lab, and collaboration with the community and partners. The incubation stage aims to develop individual talents, idea development, potential mapping, technology adoption, and business development to achieve a sustainable startup.
“In the incubation, the products are fully tested to ensure that they will pass into the market and to be sustainable,” Prof. Kuncoro explained.
After completing the incubation period, UNS has two important outputs to support its Key Performance Indicators (IKU), graduates who become entrepreneurs and create a product that the community can utilize. Therefore, the last phase is the post-incubation that aims to accelerate the development of startups through market and investor introduction.
UNS I-Hub is also committed to creating a startup and entrepreneurial culture in UNS through the Research and Innovation Result Development (PHRI) Batch II and Semesta Program 2021. PHRI focuses on collecting research findings from students, academic staff in labs, and faculty members. Semesta Program 2021 aims to develop the UNS startup culture and prepare the incubation process to be implemented by Startup and Incubation Division.
“We hope that UNS I-Hub could encourage, accelerate, and create products from research and innovation for the community, industry, or user.” Humas UNS
Reporter: Alinda Hardiantoro
Editor: Dwi Hastuti