The awardee of the 2022 National BUMDes Award which was won by BUMDes representatives from West Java, East Java, and Bali

ITS Campus News – To encourage sustainable economic progress, the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) held the International Conference on Community Services and Public Policy (ICCSP) as well as the Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) Award. The activity initiated by ITS Center for Business and Industrial Public Policy Studies (PKKPBI) was held at ITS Research Center Building Thursday (15/9).

Implementing BUMDes Award is expected to grow the potential to develop tourist villages in Indonesia. This activity also collaborates with the Asian Institute of Technologies Alumni Association (AITAA), the Lecturer Association for Village Economic Ecosystem Developers (IDEA), and the Indonesian Village Entrepreneurs Association (APEDI)https://apedi.id/.

This year is the second BUMDes Award event and has developed to a national scale. The previous year, BUMDes Award was held only on Java Island. The nominations given were in the Product Innovation category, which BUMDes Khasanah Parakan won from West Java; the profitable Achievement Award, won by BUMDes Tunjung Mekar from Bali; Community Development and Engagement, won by BUMDes Mutiara Welirang from East Java.

Dr. Ir. Arman Hakim Nasution, M.Eng. (left) with representatives of BUMDes Mutiara Welirang from East Java who won the 2022 National Community Development and Engagement BUMDes Award

Meanwhile, The Good Corporate Governance category was given to BUMDes Ijen Lestari from East Java, ICT and Digitalization were given to BUMDes Larasati from East Java, and finally, the Special Local Champion Award category was won by BUMDes Puspa Arum from Bali.

The Head of ITS PKKPBI, Dr. Ir Arman Hakim Nasution, M.Eng., said the award given to BUMDes this year was on a national scale. However, it has only reached the islands of Java and Bali because it is being carried out in stages. Winners were obtained from West Java, Central Java, East Java, and Bali. “Later on, it is expected that PTN and PTS that have an alliance with ITS can share knowledge,” he said.

BUMDes Award event continued with the ICCSP international conference with the theme Crypto Economy and Economy Upscaling Women Entrepreneurs. As one of the panelists, Niniet Indah Arvitrida, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., from System and Industrial Engineering Department ITS lecturer, expects that ITS has a strong program to encourage female students and women to become entrepreneurs.

Niniet Indah Arvitrida, S.T., M.T., Ph.D. (bring a mic) intensively encourages women entrepreneurs to continue to innovate in the Economy Upscaling Women Entrepreneur discussion

“Indonesia has a lot of untapped innovation potential. The supply chain can be touched by equalizing justice from farmers and fishermen as an example of a business,” he reminded.

This conference also presented Prof. Nafis Alam from Monash University, Malaysia, with a presentation about the Crypto Economy. Nafis revealed, along with the times, that money continues to evolve from being originally made of silver coins to cryptocurrency or digital money.

In cryptocurrency applications, a blockchain is needed that involves many economic structures. “The concept of blockchain must be introduced easily so that it can be implemented and must know the risks for data security,” Nafis explained.

Meanwhile, The Secretary General of The Indonesian Village Entrepreneurs Association (APEDI), Sabdo Yusmintiarto, thinks that Indonesia’s micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) still have difficulties implementing the crypto economy. However, slowly Indonesian MSMEs have touched the blockchain, today’s most advanced technology that is trusted to store data. Thus, the convenience of the blockchain must be realized further as a bridge from business projects.

The Secretary General of The Indonesian Village Entrepreneurs Association (APEDI), Sabdo Yusmintiarto (second from left), during a discussion session on crypto economy

Regarding BUMDes itself, Sabdo wants in the future there will be certification for BUMDes directors to make it easier to implement their performance. “Hopefully, next year BUMDes Award can touch all of Indonesia region so that it becomes a barometer of what BUMDes ia advanced and what is less developed,” he concluded. (ITS PR)