HUMAS FAHUTA – The Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), held an In-House Training themed “Downstreaming Research Results into Competitive Featured Products: Strategies for Commercialization, Business Development, and Industry Collaboration” on Thursday (September 10, 2026), at the Meeting Room of the Faculty of Forestry USU. Held from 09:00 to 14:00 WIB, the activity served as a platform for strengthening lecturers’ knowledge and perspectives in encouraging research results to be developed into featured products with economic value and competitiveness.
The activity featured two speakers with expertise in economics, business, innovation, and research downstreaming, namely Muhammad Ghazi, Junior Economist at Bank Indonesia Regional Representative Office of Sumatera, and Imam Bagus Sumantri, Manager of Innovation and Incubation at the Directorate of IPBKST USU.
In his presentation, Muhammad Ghazi discussed several strategic issues related to economic developments and downstreaming opportunities, ranging from the Global Economic Outlook and the economic structure of Sumatera to investment and downstreaming in Sumatera, as well as the role of Bank Indonesia in promoting downstreaming development. The material was also enriched with examples of economic activities and downstreaming practices related to the forestry sector.
The presentation, which linked economic concepts with various potentials in the forestry sector, provided participants with new perspectives on the importance of viewing research results not only from an academic perspective, but also in terms of their potential for developing added value and opportunities for utilization in the business sector.
Meanwhile, Imam Bagus Sumantri presented the process of downstreaming research results into competitive featured products. He explained various strategies that can be implemented to bring research results from the research stage toward broader utilization, including commercialization strategies, business development, and the establishment of collaboration with industry.
The material was relevant to the academic community of the Faculty of Forestry USU, considering that various research activities in the forestry sector have the potential to be developed into innovations and products that provide tangible benefits to society and industry.
The lecturers of the Faculty of Forestry USU who participated in the activity appeared enthusiastic throughout the presentation and discussion sessions. Through this activity, participants are expected not only to gain additional insights into economic and business dynamics, but also to develop stronger perspectives for identifying opportunities, developing, and commercializing research results.
This in-house training also formed part of the Faculty of Forestry USU’s efforts to build a more productive research and innovation ecosystem. Downstreaming is expected to open opportunities for research results to go beyond scientific publications and develop into innovations that provide added economic value, support the development of the forestry industry, and deliver broader benefits to society.
The activity is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 9—Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, through strengthening innovation and developing research results into competitive products. In addition, strengthening collaboration among higher education institutions, the government, and industry also supports SDG 17—Partnerships for the Goals, as an important foundation for achieving sustainable research downstreaming.