The Importance of Increasing the Number of Engineering Bachelors in Supporting Priority Industries in Indonesia

Indonesia, as a developing country with an economy that continues to grow, faces challenges in supporting priority industries such as food and beverages, automotive, textiles, electronics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
To respond to these development demands, it is important for Indonesia to increase the number of graduates in engineering, especially industrial and manufacturing engineering.
Unfortunately, the proportion of engineering graduates, or engineers, in Indonesia’s total population is still very low, with a significant impact on industrial development and economic progress.
Of the total 750 thousand engineers in Indonesia, only around 9 thousand people work as professional engineers. This shows that although there are many engineering graduates, the number of those actively involved in technical work is still very small. These limitations can hinder industrial progress, especially in sectors that are a priority for the government.
Apart from that, the ratio of researchers per 1 million population in Indonesia is still low compared to neighboring countries. Indonesia only has 400 researchers per 1 million population, while Thailand has a higher ratio, namely 2,024, Japan 5,638, Singapore 7,225 and South Korea 9,082.
These limitations illustrate that Indonesia needs to increase investment in research and development to support sustainable economic growth.
In overcoming these limitations, the development of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) study programs can be an effective solution. The development of STEM study programs will increase the number of graduates in the fields of industrial engineering and manufacturing, so that they can meet the needs of priority industries.
Apart from that, the development of STEM study programs can also contribute to increasing the number of scientists and researchers. By providing quality education in the STEM field, Indonesia can produce qualified human resources who are ready to compete at the global level.
Increasing the number of researchers and scientists will have a positive impact on innovation, technological development and increasing Indonesia’s competitiveness in international markets.
Source: Bappenas