Wawan Dhewanto : Entrepreneurship on Technology to Develop the Nation's Competitiveness
By Medhira Handinidevi
Editor Medhira Handinidevi
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id - As future leaders, it is necessary for students to conquer a broad body of knowledge. One of the important knowledge is entrepreneurship. As a technology-based institution, students of ITB must have an entrepreneur mindset that also embodied the spirit of technology, this is called technopreneurship. In the Scientific Oration at the Inaugural Ceremony Academic Year 2013/2014, the importance and the urgency to build the technopreneurship culture in ITB was brought into topic by Wawan Dhewanto, a professor from School of Business and Management (SBM) ITB on Monday (23/08/13).
Indonesia was the largest archipelago that has an enormous potential, from panoramic view, natural resources, and also the richness of its local culture. In spite of that richness, the level of unemployment was still at a concerning level, 5.91%. From demographic view, Indonesia was also having trouble from the high amount of poor citizen, 28.07 million inhabitants. To solve those problems, one of the solution was making a new source of employment, like entrepreneurship. According to David McClelland, a nation would be wealthy if 2% of its citizen were an entrepreneur.
The raising awareness in entreprenurship was followed by the fast-growing industries of innovation and technology. Technology development happens in all aspects, be it in communication, health, national security, multimedia, infrastructure, industry, and all other aspects. With this fast growth that follows entrepreneurship, it creates a benefit for businesses start-up. The integration between technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship was the essence of what is called technopreneurship.
Technopreneurship Development in ITB
To answer the global challenge, ITB as institute of technology must have a sufficient facility to develop the technopreneurship. Like many other institution, ITB will also give a full support towards developing the spirit of technopreneurship. This support was formed into Comemercial Business Unit (Satuan Usaha Komersil - SUK), Body of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (Lembaga Pengembangan Inovasi dan Kewirausahaan - LPIK), and also School of Business and Management (SBM).
"To become an entrepreneur, one must follow the process. This process consists of 3 components; team, resources, and opportunity. Between these components, there lies a complex bonds. Furthermore in creating start-up, we need a certain character like creativity, innovation, and the spirit of never giving up. Resources and opportunity can also gain some profit but of course within them there are some risk that we must take," said Wawan.
The development of technology commercialisation and technopreneur can be a huge potential to build a strong economic engine and can also boost national competitiveness in the global world. Through technopreneurship, we can create our future with technological breakthrough and a high level of international competitiveness.
The raising awareness in entreprenurship was followed by the fast-growing industries of innovation and technology. Technology development happens in all aspects, be it in communication, health, national security, multimedia, infrastructure, industry, and all other aspects. With this fast growth that follows entrepreneurship, it creates a benefit for businesses start-up. The integration between technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship was the essence of what is called technopreneurship.Technopreneurship Development in ITBTo answer the global challenge, ITB as institute of technology must have a sufficient facility to develop the technopreneurship. Like many other institution, ITB will also give a full support towards developing the spirit of technopreneurship. This support was formed into Comemercial Business Unit (Satuan Usaha Komersil - SUK), Body of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (Lembaga Pengembangan Inovasi dan Kewirausahaan - LPIK), and also School of Business and Management (SBM).
"To become an entrepreneur, one must follow the process. This process consists of 3 components; team, resources, and opportunity. Between these components, there lies a complex bonds. Furthermore in creating start-up, we need a certain character like creativity, innovation, and the spirit of never giving up. Resources and opportunity can also gain some profit but of course within them there are some risk that we must take," said Wawan.
The development of technology commercialisation and technopreneur can be a huge potential to build a strong economic engine and can also boost national competitiveness in the global world. Through technopreneurship, we can create our future with technological breakthrough and a high level of international competitiveness.
