Hasanuddin University (UNHAS), through its Directorate of Business Incubation, Technology, and Science Techno Park, officially launched the 2025 Business Incubation Program alongside the UNHAS Research-Based Startup initiative. The kick-off event took place on Monday (5/5) at 09:30 WITA in the Arsjad Rasjid Lecture Theatre, UNHAS Tamalanrea Campus, Makassar.
The program aims to support the growth of startups capable of delivering positive social impact through research-driven innovation.
Afdal Ph.D., Head of the Sub-directorate for Incubators and Startups, described the initiative as both a fresh start and a continuation of previous years’ efforts to build a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem at UNHAS. In 2025, the university will incubate 20 startups, each receiving intensive mentoring to help them develop innovative, community-focused products.
“We are creating an acceleration program to ensure that all strategic efforts move forward in a sustainable manner. We hope that our continued optimisation will greatly benefit UNHAS’ innovation efforts and, of course, bring impact not only to the academic community but also to society at large,” said Afdal.
The event was officially opened by Vice Rector for Partnership, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Business, Prof. Adi Maulana. In his opening remarks, Prof. Adi reaffirmed the university’s commitment to generating 100 startups as part of its long-term vision for sustainable innovation.
“Through this program, we hope UNHAS can contribute more significantly to the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. We want to encourage UNHAS students to cultivate a strong entrepreneurial spirit, which is expected to create jobs and provide solutions to societal challenges,” said Prof. Adi.
Prof. Adi also highlighted the importance of student empowerment in entrepreneurial development. He stressed that building entrepreneurial capacity will not only produce academically excellent graduates but also individuals capable of generating commercially valuable innovations.
“With good collaboration across the entire academic community, UNHAS will be able to produce many competitive startups. The increase in the number of startups will continue sustainably. UNHAS is not just aiming for the World Class University target, but also producing innovations that have a real impact on society, in line with the Ministry’s direction that campuses must have an impact,” he added.
The 2025 Business Incubation Program reflects UNHAS’s ongoing commitment to innovation and community development. By integrating academic excellence with economic and social empowerment, the university aims to create a fertile ground for research-based entrepreneurship.
Through partnerships involving students, faculty, and external stakeholders, the program seeks to position innovation as a cornerstone for building a more advanced, self-reliant society.
As part of the event series, a Business Inspiration Talks session was also held, featuring three main speakers: Andi Amar Ma’ruf Sulaiman (Chairman of the South Sulawesi Chapter of the Young Entrepreneurs Association). Dr. Syahriadi Kadir, (Director of Business Development and Asset Utilisation at UNHAS), and Dr. Sulfahri (Director of Green Innovation Indonesia).
Editor : Ishaq Rahman
Translator: Kumara Tungga Dewa
