[Unpad.ac.id, 28/04/2016] University research essentially must meet three demands, of scientific, social, and commercial. Besides producing scientific publications, three of these demands would eventually lead to downstream research that could provide for the public welfare impact.
“Research without market potential is less engaging,” said Professor of Faculty of Pharmacy Unpad Prof. Dr. Anas Subarnas, M.Sc., Apt., during his lecture at Seminar on Innovation and Commercialization at Unpad Training Center Jalan Ir. H. Juanda No. 4, Bandung, Thursday (28/04).
Downstream research, said Prof. Anas, required long process, involvement of multidisciplinary and cross-institution, and high cost. In addition, this research is a combination of basic research with applied.
Professors who have researched herbal medicine said that results of basic research would produce to scientific publications as well as new technologies in order to develop a science. While applied research in addition to producing it also led to patents and commercial products.
Prof. Anas stated that mindset change in producing marketable research was essential. Researchers should seek market opportunities through direct observation or based on industry so that the research undertaken would directly produce products acceptable to the market.
“Downstream research is not from upstream to downstream (consumer) direction, but rather featuring pattern of downstream-upstream-downstream,” he said.
Meanwhile, marketing experts from Queensland University of Technology Australia Dr. Max Briggs said that academic research should be based on a variety of issues that occur in society, economy, and environment. Thus, the study would be able to provide solutions through products and technology.
“Questions submitted by researchers about commercialization of its products is the relevance of the research and the way to garner the benefits,” said Max.
Researchers must know the process of innovation and marketing to product research in commercialization sectors. Max said that the product should study includes three aspects, of good features, functions, and benefit production.
“Essentially, the features will allow function generation that can provide benefits,” he added.
Features of products, Max continued, included cover, product dimensions, structure, aesthetics, industrial processes, performance, patents, and competitive price. Meanwhile function included how the product works and its benefits of how the product can be useful to the user.
“When product is used, it must be able to provide efficiency of time, effort, providing comfort, economic, and social benefits,” said Max.
Besides Prof. Anas and Max, this seminar also featured two other speakers, namely Directorate General of Standardization of Traditional Medicines, Cosmetics and Complements Product Agency for Food and Drug Administration Bureau Drs. Hary Wahyu, Apt. This seminar was attended by Dean, Vice Dean I and researchers of Unpad and opened by Vice Rector of Research, Community Service, Cooperation, Innovation and Business Dr. Keri Lestari, M.Si., Apt.*
Reported by Arief Maulana / eh
