JAKARTA - The Ministry of Industry continues to encourage the downstreaming and commercialization of research and innovation products in the industrial sector, including those currently needed for the prevention of the Covid-19 outbreak. For this reason, collaboration with stakeholders are needed to realize it.
"For example, regarding the development of ventilators in the country. We do this through facilitating the acceleration of production, the ease of raw materials and components, test equipment and ventilator calibration, and coordinating with the Ministry of Health for licensing. Of course, we continue to prioritize the factors of safety, usefulness and morality," said the Head of the Ministry of Industry Research and Development (BPPI), Doddy Rahadi in Jakarta, Monday (11/5).
In addition to the development of ventilators, the Ministry of Industry, through a number of R&D units under the BBPI, is also increasingly active in conducting research in order to support Covid-19 countermeasures, including the design of personal protective equipment (APD) of face shields type for health workers in handling patients exposed to the coronavirus, which has been implemented by the Metal and Machine Center (BBLM) in Bandung.
Then, the development of the Rapid Test Kit to detect Covid-19 with the Lateral Flow Immunoassay method, which will be carried out by the Indonesian Center for Agro Industry (BBIA) in Bogor. The development of disposable masks for paper-based virus protection will be carried out by the Center for Pulp and Paper (BBPK) in Bandung.
Then, there are other developments such as chocolate spices that contain bioactive components, nanofiber membranes in masks and the development of functional immunomodulatory foods to increase immunity. (LM)