Minister Encourages Research Collaboration to Develop Renewable Energy

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, encourages stronger research and technology development collaboration with the energy industry to advance renewable energy. The initiative aims to promote the use of domestic resources while strengthening Indonesia’s energy security.

He made the statement during a meeting with Medco Energy President Director, Hilmi Panigoro and representatives of state-owned energy company Pertamina in Jakarta on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. The meeting discussed opportunities for collaboration among the government, researchers, universities, and industry in developing energy-related technologies.

The discussion was also part of efforts to follow up on President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to increase the use of domestic resources and reduce dependence on imports. Brian said stronger cooperation between the research ecosystem and industry is needed to ensure that technology development addresses national needs.

The meeting also discussed several raw materials that could be used to develop renewable fuels, including used cooking oil (UCO), empty oil palm fruit bunches, molasses, and cassava. The participants also explored opportunities to develop second-generation biofuel technology and addressed challenges related to the availability of raw materials in Indonesia.

He emphasized that energy technology development requires a collaborative ecosystem that can connect industrial needs with research and technological capabilities. The government therefore supports the establishment of a consortium that can serve as a platform for cooperation and the gradual development of new technologies.

“We can establish a consortium. It could become a technology pilot project, so that we can learn from the process,” Minister Brian said. The pilot project is expected to provide an opportunity to test technologies while generating lessons that can be used to improve subsequent stages of development.

Pilot projects are considered important to ensure that technologies can be tested according to Indonesia’s conditions and needs. The results of these trials can then be evaluated before the technologies are implemented on a wider scale.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology considers stronger links between universities, researchers, and industry an important part of its Impact-Oriented Higher Education, Science, and Technology policy. Strengthening research-industry collaboration is expected to generate energy innovations that address the needs of communities and businesses while supporting Indonesia’s development and energy security.