Unhas and the South Sulawesi Regional Office of the Ministry of Law strengthen synergy in building an innovation ecosystem that is not only legally protected but also economically productive
Hasanuddin University (Unhas) stressed that innovation must not stop at intellectual property rights (HKI) or patents alone, but must be turned into real products that can drive the community’s economy. Downstreaming is the key to bridging research with the real needs of society.
Unhas Rector Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc. emphasized that strengthening HKI, including patents and copyrights, is an important foundation for protecting the innovative works of the academic community. However, Prof. JJ said, that protection must be followed by concrete steps toward downstreaming.
“Let’s not stop at HKI. We will not become a developed country if we only have patents without products that can move the community’s economy,” Prof. JJ explained.
Prof. JJ said the main challenge now is to ensure that campus innovations do not stay in the laboratory but can be developed into products that the wider public can use. In that context, Unhas has a Science Techno Park (STP), a strategic instrument for bridging research and industry.
Responding to the importance of downstreaming innovation, the Head of the South Sulawesi Regional Office of the Ministry of Law (Kemenkum), Andi Basmal, highlighted the urgency of accelerating the downstreaming of innovation products generated by universities. According to Andi Basmal, this step is the gateway to ensuring that innovation does not remain at the conceptual level but can soon move toward broader use with economic value.
“We are pushing for more progressive policies to make that process easier. Of course, we hope innovations can be implemented faster and give real benefits to the community,” Andi Basmal explained.
The idea emerged at a strategic meeting between Unhas and the South Sulawesi Regional Office of the Ministry of Law, held in the Rector’s Room, 8th Floor, on Friday (10 April). The meeting served as a strategic space to strengthen synergy between higher education and government in building an innovation ecosystem that is not only legally protected but also economically productive.
Overall, the synergy between Unhas and the South Sulawesi Regional Office of the Ministry of Law reflects the strengthening of universities as centers of impactful innovation. Downstreaming is key to ensuring that intellectual property is not only an academic achievement but also an engine of the community’s economy. (*/mir)
Editor: Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.