UNDIP, Semarang (November 21, 2025) – Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) held a Public Lecture and MSME Expo with the Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises of the Republic of Indonesia, Maman Abdurrahman, at the Entrepreneurship Hall of UNDIP’s Faculty of Economics and Business. The event carried the theme “Building a Creative, Adaptive, and Competitive Micropreneur Generation,” reaffirming UNDIP’s commitment to nurturing young entrepreneurs and accelerating innovation downstreaming toward Golden Indonesia 2045.
The event began with a report by the Deputy for Micro Enterprises at the Ministry of MSMEs, Muhammad Riza Adha Damanik, S.T., M.Si., Ph.D., who stated that this activity serves as a strategic step to promote future MSMEs based on innovation and technology. He emphasized that UNDIP students’ works hold strong potential to support high-quality MSMEs. Riza also stressed the importance of transforming students from job seekers into job creators. More than 500 students from various faculties attended the program.
UNDIP Rector Prof. Dr. Soeharnomo, S.E., M.Si. reaffirmed the university’s commitment to strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem through campus innovation and student business mentoring. “The enthusiasm of students is extraordinary. UNDIP is not only encouraging innovation but ensuring that these works deliver benefits and contributions to society.”
He highlighted that UNDIP produces 10–15 new MSMEs annually, some of which have reached export markets. One student-run business even recorded an annual turnover of Rp 1 billion, showing that MSMEs can level up when supported by proper mentoring and an ecosystem.
Emphasizing the importance of downstream innovation, he noted that UNDIP is the second-largest patent applicant in Indonesia this year. “If only 10 percent of these innovations reach the market, universities can demonstrate how research and academics can drive entrepreneurship,” he added.
During the public lecture, Minister Maman Abdurrahman emphasized that being a student is not the end of learning but the starting point for building character and creating opportunities. “Being a student is not the final goal. It is the gateway to explore knowledge, shape character, sharpen resilience, build networks, and foster entrepreneurial spirit,” he said. He noted that by 2030, around 14 percent of jobs are expected to disappear due to automation, making it crucial for students to become job creators.
The Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises praised the creativity of UNDIP students, particularly those whose innovative products are considered ready for industrial scale. “I gained many insights from the research and innovations developed by UNDIP. For example, the coffee bean roasting machine—this shows that Indonesia can actually produce its own technology. Our role is to push outstanding products like this to enter the industry and become commercialized,” he said. He added that access to government financing is already available, but the real challenge is integrating student products into the industrial supply chain. “Surviving is easy—getting your product into the industry is the real challenge.”
A Memorandum of Understanding between Universitas Diponegoro and the Ministry of MSMEs was signed as a strategic step to strengthen the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education. Through this partnership, both parties are committed to promoting collaboration in education, research, and community service aligned with entrepreneurship development and the use of campus innovations.
As a follow-up to this collaboration, the university inaugurated the entrepreneurship development center “Diponegoro Usadaya Preneur” at the Faculty of Economics and Business. The inauguration was symbolized by the striking of a gong, marking the start of its operations as a hub for building an entrepreneurship ecosystem rooted in innovation, collaboration, and empowerment.
Usadaya Preneur’s strategic programs include:
- National MSME data management and research
- Mentoring programs to help MSMEs scale up
- Village development based on MSMEs
- MSME business index development
- Entrepreneurship internship programs
As part of the event, the Minister reviewed 18 selected student MSMEs showcasing strong development potential. Several of these businesses have already entered the market and are considered ready for industrial scaling. This initiative is expected to strengthen further UNDIP’s role as a university that produces innovative young entrepreneurs who are globally competitive and adaptive to change. (Public Communication/UNDIP/Hanang)
