Antara News·Indonesia·Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 02:37 PM UTC

Research-based technology opens path to unicorns in Indonesia: Gov't

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Aria, Kenzu

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Director General of Research and Development at the Higher Education, Science, and Technology Ministry Mohammad Fauzan Adziman said research-based technology development could open opportunities for unicorn startups to emerge in Indonesia.

He made the remarks at a panel discussion during the Danantara Technology Innovation Investment Forum (DTIIF) 2026 here on Wednesday, citing the development of deep technology startups in Europe.

“In Europe, deep technology companies reach a valuation of more than US$1 billion (unicorn) in five years and seven months, or two years and four months faster,” Adziman said.

Based on PitchBook data referenced by McKinsey and shown in his presentation, deep technology startups in Europe took an average of five years and seven months to reach unicorn status, compared with seven years and 11 months for conventional technology startups.

“Deep technology uses research, something that other industries cannot easily copy, and has the potential to be developed on a large scale,” he said.

Fields that could use the development of this technology include energy, food, and health, which need innovation to address various problems and improve industry capabilities, he pointed out.

Based on 2022 data in his presentation, business sector spending on R&D in Indonesia was recorded at 16.7 percent of total national R&D spending.

That figure is lower than Taiwan at 85.5 percent, South Korea at 79.4 percent, China at 77.6 percent, and Japan at 73.1 percent.

On the government support side, the ministry reported on July 8, 2026, that it had disbursed around Rp454 billion for more than 1,070 applied research projects involving cooperation between universities and industry.

The ministry also opened a Deeptech Hackathon scheme with funding of up to Rp1.5 billion for host universities to draw out technology solutions to real problems, including in semiconductors, food, and energy.

Meanwhile, through the 2026 Berdikari Partnership Catalyst Program, the government has been developing three schemes, which are Mandala, SKALA+, and Saintek Nusantara, to widen the application of research results according to public needs.

Adziman also stressed the importance of downstreaming genomic and biotechnology research so its results can be developed into technology-based products or businesses in health, food, and industry.

He assessed that cooperation among researchers, universities, industry players, and investors is needed so innovation can meet market needs while having the chance to be developed more widely.

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