The British Embassy in Jakarta hosted a reception to welcome back twenty four Indonesian innovators who have returned after a 2-week intensive training in the United Kingdom.

The 24 young innovators were beneficiaries of the 2017 and 2018 Leaders in Innovation Fellowships (LIF) from the Royal Academy of Engineering, a program that is supported by Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education and the UK`s Newton Fund.

British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste Moazzam Malik said after opening the reception in Jakarta, Thursday evening, that the program is looking to foster science and education in Indonesia.

"We are also looking to encourage basic research, which is very important, and support the commercialization of innovation, as well as science and technology," he said.

The program, he continued, will provide selected young technopreneurs with skills on product commercialization in the 2 weeks intensive training in the UK.

One of the beneficiaries of the 2018 batch Utari Octavianty stated that the program did not only offer new knowledge for her to run her digital business with, but it also opened up new networking and business potentials.

"After participating in the program, my network became larger and more global, and it is beneficial not only for me personally but for my business as well," she said.

She runs a business in the maritime sector, where her online software, named Aruna.id, connects fishermen from corners of the country directly with buyers.

Before the program, she continued, the company focused mainly on domestic consumers.

"But now, I have a more vast network and can even distribute the catch of these fishermen to a wider market as well. For example, we can now connect American buyers with these fishermen," she said.

The Fellowship program is carried out annually for 12 selected candidates. At the moment, the Ministry and the Royal Academy of Engineering are shortlisting candidates and will select another 12 Indonesian innovators to join the LIF 2019 programme on January 15 to 23 in London, UK.

The intensive training is fully funded by the Royal Academy and the Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education provide innovation grants for the selected innovators. (ANTARA)