The Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (MenKopUKM), Teten Masduki, emphasizes the importance of developing Indonesia's agricultural sector and creating agripreneurs. Agripreneurs, entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector, have the potential to drive the downstream development of agriculture and create outstanding entrepreneurs. The agricultural sector contributes significantly to Indonesia's GDP, accounting for 11.8% in the first quarter of 2023 with positive quarterly growth of 4.73%. To promote entrepreneurship, the Minister aims to increase the percentage of entrepreneurs to 3.47%. However, to become an advanced country, the percentage of entrepreneurs should reach a minimum of 4%. Therefore, the goal is to create 1 million new entrepreneurs to reach the target percentage. The Minister suggests collaborating with universities, such as Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), to cultivate innovation-based entrepreneurial ventures that leverage research and technology.
A concrete step in developing agripreneurs is the collaboration with IPB University, focusing on the importance of innovation and sustainable growth in advancing the agribusiness industry and supporting agripreneurial development. The collaboration aims to address challenges related to food security, value-added creation through new processed products, attractive packaging, and smart technology-based marketing. Participants in the Agripreneur Entrepreneur Hub are expected to continue their personal development and receive business development assistance from IPB University, which will elevate their enterprises in the near future. In addition, local government representatives, including the Vice Mayor of Bogor, Dedie A. Rachim, emphasize the need for formal entrepreneurship registration to boost economic growth in Bogor. IPB University's Rektor, Arif Satria, mentions that 43% of new IPB students are interested in becoming entrepreneurs. The university is preparing various programs to support and nurture these entrepreneurial aspirations, such as the Science Techno Park, which serves as a platform for technology development, research, and start-up centers.
