The day of graduation at one of Indonesia’s major universities draws near. Electrical engineering students who have been lectured and supported by a SEEDs professional look forward with expectation for the future. Graduation is an event that is joyfully celebrated with family and friends.

Whereas in many industrial countries there are many open job opportunities, here in Indonesia it is still difficult to find employment in the field of integrated chip (IC) design. Graduates end up in jobs that are not related to their academic qualification (see Training in New Technologies that Brighten the Future).

Recognising this challenge, this SEEDs member worked with one of the graduates of the masters program to survey the availability of low-cost hardware. They found that most of the hardware was expensive due to import costs or not cutting-edge technology.

What if the hardware was produced, marketed and even packaged with training by local engineers themselves? A cost analysis was made about components that are available or could be produced locally and about those that still needed to be imported. It would be difficult to compete with foreign manufacturers but promoting the products with available service and training could be a convincing selling factor and actually meet the needs in industry and academic institutions to further get acquainted with IC technology.

A business like this could also help to create more jobs for electrical engineers with skills in IC design, supporting the local and national economy, in line with SEEDs’ vision to support young leaders to find solutions to the challenges they face in order to benefit their communities and country.

SEEDs workers