An entrepreneurial spirit is important in facing Indonesia’s future. It was the highlight of the Artha Sandbox event, held by the Entrepreneurship Student Association (IMK) “Artha” ITB in Bandung on Friday (26/03). The theme of the event was “Frontiers of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Services”.
This event featured four speakers: the LPDP Scholarship Director Dwi Larso, Program Head NUS Enterprise Summer/Winter Program in Entrepreneurship Singapore Claire Cheong, Business Ecosystem External Lead NSEI (Paragon Corp) Hendrasyah Aditya, and Prof. Ir. Togar M. Simatupang from the SBM ITB. They discussed the importance of a leader with an entrepreneurial spirit in building Advanced Indonesia 2045.
Dwi Larso discussed the vision of Advanced Indonesia 2045, which needs to be supported by improving the quality of Indonesia’s human resources. With a target of 250 thousand entrepreneurs per year or the equivalent of 25%, he hopes that Indonesia can reach a per capita income of $45,000 by 2045. He invites students, emphasizing their potential, to dare to do business and contribute to this vision.
“Don’t be afraid if your business fails; it’s normal for a business to fail; as long as there are people, you can definitely move forward,” said Dwi Larson, emphasizing the resilience and determination that the entrepreneurial spirit brings.
He emphasized that the current demographic bonus could be a golden opportunity for Indonesia to produce innovative work. However, it can also be a threat if not used properly.
Meanwhile, Claire Cheong shared her experience that an entrepreneurial spirit can be found through various exercises, such as those in the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Block71 scholarship programs. In line with the NUS vision, the program aims to change the paradigm to attract entrepreneurial individuals so they can contribute to solving national and global issues.
Hendrasyah Aditya said that a collaboration between MIT Reap and Paragon Corporation found that Indonesian people tend to be afraid to do business. Doing business is crucial in opening global networks, creating new jobs, and developing regional economies.
According to Prof. Togar, the entrepreneurial ecosystem, a crucial support system, consists of three important elements: startups, supporting organizations, and services. He emphasized the importance of entrepreneurial people who are competent, brave, and proficient in their fields, and the role of the ecosystem in nurturing and supporting them.
