RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of palm oil, is seeking to establish itself as a global hub for palm oil innovation and technology.

To achieve this, continuous research is needed to generate innovations that strengthen the sector's downstream development.

President Director of the Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP) under the Ministry of Finance, Eddy Abdurachman, emphasized that a strong research ecosystem is essential to support the transformation of Indonesia’s palm oil industry.

“Indonesia can become a hub for research, innovation, and technology for the sustainable development of palm oil,” Eddy said while opening the Indonesian Palm Oil Research Week (Pekan Riset Sawit Indonesia/PERISAI 2026) in Jakarta on Monday, July 20, 2026.

He noted that vast potential remains for palm oil development across multiple fields, including palm oil-based food products, biojet fuel, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

PERISAI serves as a platform to conduct and accelerate research to strengthen the competitiveness of Indonesia’s palm oil industry.

“This is the result of collaboration between the government, academia, researchers, industry, and palm oil farmers. Research must be applicable to farmers, adopted by industry, developed with technology, and commercialized so that it benefits society,” Eddy added.

A total of 1,300 participants joined PERISAI 2026, representing ministries, local administrations, universities, palm oil farmers, and industry stakeholders.

BPDP showcased 24 outcomes from the Grand Palm Oil Research program and 10 student research innovations funded by the agency.

Since the Palm Oil Research Grant Program began in 2015, BPDP has supported 466 research contracts involving 109 R&D institutions, 1,873 researchers, and 383 students. These projects have produced 395 scientific publications and 84 patents.

This year, BPDP signed 56 new research contracts, including studies on national coconut development and readiness for B50 implementation.

In human resource development, BPDP collaborates with 44 universities and awards scholarships to 13,265 students. The agency has also trained more than 30 farmers to accelerate the adoption of innovations. Currently, over 100 BPDP research outcomes have entered the commercialization phase. (Gusti Panji)