On September 29, at the NEXT Summit (Bali 2022), Dr. Laksana Tri Handoko, Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) of Indonesia, delivered a keynote speech. Representing Indonesia as a co-host of the summit, he noted that in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered global development trajectories. Facing geopolitical challenges and food shortages, countries must actively seek cooperation and pursue shared progress.
Dr. Handoko introduced BRIN as a government-led and Indonesia’s sole national research agency, established in 2021. It focuses on various scientific fields, including nuclear energy and space research. In January 2022, BRIN consolidated 72 organizations, and now employs around 15,000 staff and experts. The creation of BRIN enables Indonesia to more efficiently promote international cooperation in scientific research and innovation.
“Indonesia’s vision for 2045 is to build the country into a great nation. To achieve this, Indonesia’s annual per capita GDP must exceed USD 12,000, but currently it is only around USD 4,000. Based on this plan, Indonesia must maintain an annual economic growth rate of at least 6%,” said Dr. Handoko. However, the pandemic caused severe economic impacts, forcing Indonesia to adjust its economic model and seek new opportunities.
He emphasized that innovation is critical to economic growth and strengthening international competitiveness, and is the only way to achieve sustainable development. Effective science and technology policies can shape innovation ecosystems and further promote innovation. Moreover, he stressed the need to foster more start-ups to enhance innovation capacity, which in turn will drive economic development.
Dr. Handoko further highlighted that technological innovation is the cornerstone of national progress. To better encourage innovation, BRIN is developing an open platform to allow stakeholders to share resources and reduce research costs. It has also established research funds to increase investment in scientific fields, nurture talent, and accelerate industry-wide growth.
Finally, Dr. Handoko noted that since 2017, the annual NEXT Summit has successfully integrated resources from Government, Media, Academy, Business, and Community (GMABC), aligning closely with BRIN’s mission. “We aim to build a more open platform and foster stronger global partnerships,” he said.
Since its inception in 2017, the NEXT Summit has been successfully held in Auckland (2017), Hangzhou (2018), Dubai (2019), online (2020), Singapore (2021), and Bali (2022). Distinguished speakers have included UN Secretary-General António Guterres, former UN Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, former Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan Saleem Mandviwalla, and Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, among others.
The NEXT Summit has become a signature platform for international exchange and cooperation. Guided by its GMABC model, it integrates and leverages resources across government, media, academia, business, and civil society, providing crucial support for policy dialogue, project promotion, technical exchange, talent networks, and international communication, particularly among Belt and Road countries.
The sixth NEXT Summit (Bali 2022) was co-hosted by the NEXT Federation, Xinhua Silk Road (China Economic Information Service), and Indonesia’s BRIN. The NEXT Federation is a global platform for integrating and transforming industrial resources, headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. It focuses on discovering best practices, sharing advantages, and fostering innovation, cooperation, and development worldwide.
Xinhua Silk Road is a professional economic information service under Xinhua News Agency and a pilot unit for national high-end think tank development. Over more than 30 years, it has become one of China’s most authoritative and comprehensive providers of economic information services.
BRIN, operating directly under the President of Indonesia, is responsible for international research, development, evaluation, application, invention, and innovation, including nuclear and space programs.
The summit’s official premium partner and designated supplier was Hong Xifeng, one of China’s four renowned heritage baijiu brands. Known as the pioneer of the Feng-flavor category, Hong Xifeng is acclaimed for its smooth character — “no hangover, no throat dryness, and pleasant aftertaste” — earning it the title “Phoenix of Liquors.”