Developing Biology-Based Business Ventures, Department of FMIPA Establishes Bio-preneur Clinic

Photo from left to right: ,Inggang Perwangsa Nuralam, SE., MBA., Ph.D and Yoga Dwi Jatmiko, S.Si., M.App.Sc., Ph.D,

The Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) Universitas Brawijaya held a workshop on the Establishment of a Biopreneur Clinic. The activity was held in the Meeting Room, 5th floor, MIPA Center UB, Saturday, (7/20/2024).

This event invited speakers from the Head of the Entrepreneurship Development Center, Startups and Business Incubators, Directorate of Innovation and Science and Technology Areas (DIKST) Universitas Brawijaya, Inggang Perwangsa Nuralam, SE., MBA., Ph.D, who delivered material on “Strategy for Student Development in Entrepreneurship Development Through Downstreaming of Research Results and Business Incubators”.

According to the Head of the Biology Department, Yoga Dwi Jatmiko, S.Si., M.App.Sc., Ph.D, the workshop was intended as a forum for discussion and brainstorming on strategies for preparing the establishment and work programs of the Biopreneur Clinic at the department level.

“This Biopreneur Clinic was established with the aim of improving the entrepreneurial atmosphere in the department environment from students and lecturers, we need to know what information about activities can be carried out in a Biopreneur Clinic,” said Yoga.

The Biopreneur Clinic or the term is Business Incubator is expected to have various roles, one of which is for mentoring, training, even to the business incubation process stage.

“Theoretically, Biopreneur is already exist, we hope to implement the stages of business incubators in the departmental environment,” he continued.

The internal workshop activities carried out involved representatives of lecturers representing research interest groups and several representatives of student associations interested in entrepreneurship.

The head of the Department of Biology further explained that this workshop was carried out as a follow-up to the previous workshop which was more general in nature, namely on strategies to increase business interest in students and formulate a curriculum which was then followed up for the process of establishing a business incubator strategy.

Yoga admitted that the activity was specifically held because the Undergraduate of Biology study program received a grant from the Independent Campus Competition Program (PKKM). One of the activities of the PKKM grant was holding the workshop.

He said that the previous day there was a Biopreneur Competition activity. In this activity, several student groups were invited to deliver pitches and present their business ideas. Those who successfully entered the top 3 will be given a grant and funded by getting 10 million rupiah to run their business within a predetermined time period.

After the realization stage of the business goes well, it can be developed again to be proposed for partnership with a larger funding source with the hope that the team as entrepreneurs will continue to run their business after completing their studies.

“With a fairly long research process in the field of biology, biopreneurs are a potential business based on biological resources, so anything related to biodiversity or environmental conservation we encourage to become new business opportunities that will later become startups for our alumni which of course, involve lecturers who become mentors, provide supervision to provide input and suggestions for product development,” concluded Yoga. (KAN/UB PR/ Trans. Iir)