Vol. 20 No. 2 (2017): INDONESIAN MINING JOURNAL VOL. 20 NO. 2 October 2017

Image for R&D centre in this country is still not positive yet, particularly because of unability in providing a real and significant contribution towards an effort of improving prosperity as mandated by the 1945 Constitution. This reality is related to a fundamental issue, which is the research orientation conducted by the government’s R&D institutions, either universities, ministries or non-ministerial institutions that do not focus yet to an effort in providing the real contribution towards need fulfilment or solution of problems faced by community, government or business world. Allegedly, most of the research acivities are in the form of academic exercises, and sensitively do not respond the faced reality. More ironically, when it is deeply observed, based on an academic indicator, the R&D institutions do not show yet optimal performances when being compared with similar institutions in ASEAN countries, specifically from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

 

According to a researcher from the Ministry of Research&Technology and Higher Education, in the present context, the R&D institution is a main element of the national innovation, which is as a disseminator and developer of science and technology. For this reason, the R&D institution needs to improve capacity of the science and technology development and to identify the needs and problems, which are faced by the users, consisting of industry, community and government.

 

A commercialization process of the R&D products must involve stakeholders. Success in implementing the above process includes, among others, enforcement of management system for intelectual rights, commercialization policy, R&D institution policy, interaction and industrial mapping, collaboration of R&D institutions, complete financing, incubator, program of technopreneurship education etc.

 

Articles published in this journal are contributed by researchers and lecturers from R&D institutions and universities. Some of the authors are well-known figure for their discipline and have contributed their brilliant ideas to improve the mineral and coal technology. The rest is young researchers who are interested in managing a good environment due to mining operation in this country.

 

From all the papers published in this journal, R&D institutions should do something new to anticipate all the above challenges rather than to cope with all problems, particularly in the commercialization aspect. It is really expected that the mining law and related regulations must be implemented to accommodate the good mining practices and value added issues including the aspects of exploration, mining environment and economics of the mineral and coal commodities, which are perfectly processed in line with the user demands. Of course, this opportunity should be developed and this is a big challenge for researchers and engineers to prove their capabilities for the better future of this country.