MAKASSAR – Transforming research results into innovations that can meet society’s needs and break into the market has become a focus of the Rector of Hasanuddin University (Unhas) in the Rector’s second term. To accelerate this agenda, Unhas has created a new work unit, the Innovation and Business Management portfolio. Its main task is to strengthen the downstreaming of research results, innovation development, and the governance of institutional businesses.
Prof. Dr. Amir Ilyas, S.H., M.H. has been entrusted to lead this task as Vice Rector for Innovation and Business Management. Prof. Amir Ilyas was officially sworn in at the Inauguration and Oath-Taking Ceremony for Officials within Hasanuddin University, held at Baruga A.P. Pettarani, Unhas Tamalanrea Campus, on Tuesday (7 July).
Born in Pangkajene on 10 July 1980, Prof. Amir Ilyas previously served as Vice Dean for Partnerships, Research, and Innovation at the Unhas Graduate School. Experience in building partnership networks and developing innovation is an important asset for overseeing the Unhas business transformation agenda.
In the previous term, the functions of partnerships, innovation, entrepreneurship, and business were combined in a single portfolio. As demands for the downstreaming of research results and for strengthening institutional self-reliance grow, Unhas has now created a dedicated portfolio so that the management of innovation and business can be carried out in a more focused and sustainable way.
According to Prof. Amir Ilyas, the direction from the Unhas leadership is very clear: to make downstreaming an important stage after the research process. Unhas has produced many innovations, but a stronger strategy is still needed so that these products can reach the market and deliver broader benefits.
“Many works and research results from Unhas have great potential but have not yet managed to enter the market. This is where our challenge, and our major task, lies: building a bridge between the laboratory and industry and society,” explained Prof. Amir.
The new portfolio will strengthen the innovation downstreaming ecosystem as a whole, from identifying the potential of research results, protecting intellectual property, developing business models, and incubating innovations, to building strategic collaboration with government, industry, and various business partners. This approach is expected to increase the competitiveness of Unhas innovations at both the national and global levels.
Prof. Amir acknowledged that a number of universities have already built well-established systems for managing innovation and business. However, the Vice Rector is optimistic that Unhas has great potential to grow, supported by its research strength, human resources, and the commitment of the university leadership to driving transformation.
“We realize this challenge is not easy, because many universities are more experienced. With the collaboration of the entire academic community, I am confident Unhas can compete in the marketplace through innovations that are high-quality, impactful, and of real benefit to society,” stressed Prof. Amir. (*/mir)
Editor : Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.