President Prabowo Meets About 150 Indonesian Researchers, Praising Innovations

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto met with 150 researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, August 6, 2026. Prabowo also praised research and innovation projects developed by BRIN, ranging from mRNA vaccines to industrial intelligence technology.

"This meeting was the first time for researchers from across Indonesia to discuss and showcase their research and innovation results to President Prabowo," the Indonesia's Presidential Secretariat said in a statement on Thursday.

President Prabowo reviewed several outputs developed by the agency prior to the meeting. Head of BRIN, Arif Satria, guided Prabowo to visit innovation booths of various fields, ranging from energy, defense, aerospace, health, food, to water treatment technology.

According to the Presidential Secretariat, Prabowo appeared enthusiastic about seeing the research, as he questioned the researchers. He also listened to explanations on the potential applications of the technology being developed.

"Thank God, the President is very happy and grateful to BRIN for producing various innovative breakthroughs to solve various problems," Arif said in a press conference after the meeting.

In his remarks to the scientists, Prabowo emphasized that national development and revival must be based on facts, reality, and a scientific approach. He urged all levels of government to build a leadership culture grounded in facts.

"I especially urge my team and all of you to lead by following facts, the reality of the actual situation. Sometimes those facts are unpleasant, and sometimes seeing reality is unpleasant, frankly," he said.

Furthermore, the President affirmed that mastery of science and technology is a key factor in building national competitiveness. He believes Indonesia possesses significant human capital potential to generate innovations.

"So, we actually have a lot of raw materials, but whatever we have, fellow scientists, we have to find, nurture, be given opportunities, be developed, and be supported through a process," the President said.

Prabowo said he believes that research and innovation are inextricably linked to the quality of education. Thus, he said that the Indonesian government considers investment in education a strategic priority to prepare future generations capable of producing discoveries, innovations, and patents that will benefit the nation's progress.

"To achieve innovation, breakthroughs, discoveries, patents, and so on, education is fundamental. This is why I want to invest significantly in education for our future generations," he said.