In the current digital economy era, collaboration between the education sector and industries, particularly banking, is crucial to create strong synergies that drive the transformation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (UMKM) toward greater adaptability and competitiveness. UMKMs are expected to serve as the backbone of Indonesia’s economy, significantly contributing to GDP and absorbing a substantial workforce.
Universitas Terbuka (UT), in collaboration with Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), hosted a National Webinar on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. The webinar, titled “Entrepreneurship and Banking: Funding Strategies for UMKMs”, was open to the public and addressed the primary challenges faced by UMKMs, such as limited business capital and access to formal financial services. The event discussed innovative funding strategies through digital technology utilization and introduced banking products to enable UMKMs to become the driving force of the national economy.
The event was opened by Dr. Meita Istianda, S.IP., M.Si., Dean of the Faculty of Law, Social, and Political Sciences (FHISIP) at UT. In her opening remarks, she expressed her utmost appreciation to all parties involved, emphasizing that the webinar aimed to provide insights for UMKMs and students interested in entrepreneurship. Dr. Meita explained that the collaboration between UT and BRI exemplified synergy between academia and industry (DUDI) and served as a platform to support UMKM development. “Through this webinar, I hope we can explore effective funding strategies for UMKMs, including how to optimize banking services for legal and secure access to funding,” she said.
This strategic forum for entrepreneurs, academics, and banking professionals featured two expert speakers: Deby Haryanti, S.T., M.B.A., Assistant Vice President of Value Chain & Assets Product Development Division at BRI, and Dr. Agus Santosa, M.M., a lecturer in UT’s Business Administration program, moderated by Elisabeth Ria Viana Praningtyas, S.Ak., M.Sc.
Deby Haryanti’s presentation, titled “Entrepreneurship and Banking: BRI as an Accelerator of Economic Growth through UMKM Empowerment & Financing,” provided insights and best practices regarding funding and development strategies for UMKMs. She highlighted financial literacy, inclusive funding access, and sustainable financing. As of October 2023, there were approximately 65 million UMKMs in Indonesia, according to BPS data. UMKMs play a crucial role in the national economy, contributing over 60.5% of GDP and employing around 97% of the private sector workforce. She emphasized BRI’s commitment to UMKM development by expanding its UMKM financing portfolio, accounting for over 70% of Indonesia’s financial inclusion achievements. She detailed BRI’s infrastructure support, loan products, and UMKM empowerment programs.
Dr. Agus’s presentation, titled “Strategies for UMKM Development in the Digital Era,” examined the significant number of UMKMs in Indonesia and the challenges they face, such as funding, partnerships, licensing, market access, human resources, and competition.
Dr. Agus introduced the Pentahelix Model, which involves five key elements—academia, business, community, government, and media—combined with the 3C Strategy (Connect, Collaborate, Commerce) to tackle challenges in the era of digitalization and globalization.
As an Open and Distance Learning institution, UT is committed to contributing to national development. This webinar aimed to inspire students and participants to become creative and innovative entrepreneurs capable of leveraging funding for growth. By fostering synergy between education and banking sectors, UMKMs in Indonesia are expected to grow stronger, significantly contribute to national economic growth, create job opportunities, and achieve better financial inclusion for all communities.
