[Unpad.ac.id, 30/05/2016] The development of entrepreneurial sector is now seen as crucial to boost the number of entrepreneurs in Indonesia. The stakeholders have developed various programs; one of them is digital media utilization of information technology to support the business activities of businesses.
“Academic power should be utilized to encourage various progress,” said Rector during the inauguration of Digital Kampung Suka Padjadjaran in Bale Pabukon Jatinangor, Monday (30/05). The inauguration was also served as opening event activities “Padjadjaran Book Fair, Campus Festival & Exhibition 2016” at Bale Padjadjaran Pabukon, May 30-June 5.
The information technology sector is utilized by Universitas Padjadjaran in cooperation with PT. Telekomunikasi Indonesia. Through the program of “Digital Village Center for Small and Medium Enterprises (Suka) Padjadjaran”, Universitas Padjadjaran and Telkom is supporting the development of entrepreneurial activity among both the academic community and the people of West Java.
Rector, Prof. Tri Hanggono Achmad, said that Kampung Digital Suka Padjadjaran is expected to be able to accommodate a wide range of start-up businesses in West Java. Implementation of business development by Unpad academic community should create a wide range of superior products through the academic process.
The inauguration was marked by the signing of artifacts Digital Kampung Suka Padjadjaran by Rector and Director of Enterprise & Business Service Telkom, M. Awaluddin. Attending the event were Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Publishers (Ikapi), West Java, Drs. H. Anwarudin, Head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), West Java, Agung Suryamal, publisher representatives, officials, and leaders of Unpad.
Academic contribution challenges in the development of business is to create an output of research activity. The outputs must be able to answer the challenges and problems in the public sector. Nevertheless, there are still many research output that did not provide for the public.
“Often a gap between academic products to actual needs happened,” said Rector.
As its name, Kampung Digital Suka Padjadjaran should be able to touch the business potential in rural West Java. “If we review the existing challenges, we must explore the great potential, the power in the villages,” said Rector.
Thus, the Digital Kampung facilitated entrepreneurial activity based on academic potential of Unpad. “With a wide range of digital capabilities and creativity of the academic community, this program should be able to explore the potential of 46 million people in West Java,” said Rector.
Awaluddin himself said that Kampung Digital Suka Padjadjaran is basically an implementation of SME Digital Village program initiated by Telkom Unpad. Digital Kampung Suka Padjadjaran is a program of 117 of the 300 villages targeted SME Digital generated by Telkom.
Compared to other Digital Kampung, Kampung Digital Suka Padjadjaran is the first village whose development and management are in collaboration with universities. In addition, this program also adapted the concept of Pentahelix (academia, business, government, community, and media) cooperation that has been initiated by Unpad.
“Digital Village in Unpad is very interesting because the concept is located on the campus and managed by the academic community college,” said Awaluddin.
Digital Village Suka Padjadjaran will utilize information technology comprehensively and integrated to support business processes running in Sentra SMEs or SME. Through digital sector, SMEs are expected to have competitiveness at the global level and contribute to the promotion of economic growth in Indonesia. Currently the Suka Padjadjaran program accommodates around 20 start-up businesses.
In relation to “Padjadjaran Book Fair, Campus Festival & Exhibition 2016” event, Andri Yanto, M.I.Kom., the head organizer said that participating in this event are publisher and SMEs in the Bandung and Sumedang area. In addition to the exhibition of books and businesses, this event is also featured book review, workshop, to exhibit excellent products produced Appropriate Technology Unpad academic community.
The event also inaugurated an online bookstore in Bale Pabukon at http://balepabukon.unpad.ac.id/. This page becomes a vehicle for the sale of books published Unpad and other publishers. *
Reported by Arief Maulana / eh
