USU PUBLIC RELATIONS – Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), through a multidisciplinary team of experts, is participating in the Pre-Feasibility Study Program for Fiscal Year 2027 under the Research Commercialization–Technology Promotion scheme of the Directorate General of Research and Development, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemdiktisaintek RI). The program is aimed at assessing the readiness of SELCARE, a web-based digital platform developed to support the early detection, monitoring, and cognitive function training of older adults.
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Team Leader Prof. Dr. Reni Asmara Ariga, S.Kp., MARS., explained that the assessment goes beyond technology development. The team is also examining the extent to which SELCARE can be further developed and utilized on a broader scale before entering the commercialization stage.
“Our role is not merely to develop the technology, but also to assess whether SELCARE has achieved sufficient readiness to enter the commercialization stage,” Prof. Reni explained.
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SELCARE integrates AI Adaptive Cognitive Assessment, longitudinal monitoring of users’ conditions, and a Decision Support System. This integration enables the platform to provide cognitive training recommendations tailored to users’ conditions while also supporting healthcare professionals in their decision-making processes.
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<h3>Involving Five Experts with Different Areas of Expertise</h3>
To obtain a more comprehensive assessment of its feasibility, the SELCARE study involves five experts from different academic backgrounds. Prof. Reni Asmara Ariga serves as the Team Leader, coordinating the overall process and integrating the assessment findings from various aspects.
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The team also includes Dr. Erna Budhiarti Nababan, M.IT., an expert in information technology and artificial intelligence/technical aspects; Prof. Dr. Arlina Nurbaity Lubis, S.E., MBA., an expert in marketing management, markets, and business models; Prof. Dr. Khaira Amalia Fachrudin, S.E., Ak., MBA., an expert in finance and risk; and Prof. Dr. Ningrum Natasya Sirait, S.H., MLI., an expert in regulatory and legal matters.
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Each expert conducts an assessment according to their respective area of expertise. The findings are then discussed and integrated to provide an overall picture of SELCARE’s readiness. The team will also involve Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and business matching activities to connect the technology with potential partners who could support its commercialization process.
“The collaboration is multidisciplinary. Each expert conducts an assessment based on their expertise, and we then integrate the findings into a single feasibility assessment framework,” Prof. Reni said.
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<h3>Assessing Technology Readiness and the Commercialization Pathway</h3>
As part of the assessment, the team will examine several aspects that will serve as the basis for determining the future direction of SELCARE’s development. The assessment covers technology readiness, technical aspects, market and business models, financial and economic feasibility, risks, legal and regulatory aspects, and commercialization plans.
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From the technical perspective, the team will assess the technology’s readiness and its supporting validation evidence. From the market and business perspectives, the assessment will examine user needs, market conditions, competitors, business models, and potential commercialization strategies.
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Financial aspects are also an important component in assessing investment requirements, costs, potential revenue, and economic feasibility. Meanwhile, risk and legal assessments will identify potential risks, including intellectual property protection, licensing, and compliance with applicable regulations.
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According to Prof. Reni, innovation cannot be assessed solely from a technological perspective. Its potential applications must also be demonstrated through measurable assessments to ensure that the technology being developed has a clear path toward implementation.
“We must demonstrate its technical readiness, market needs, business model, regulatory aspects, financial feasibility, and implementation risks. Innovation must therefore be supported by evidence, not merely claims,” she emphasized.
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<h3>Opening Opportunities for Use in Elderly Healthcare Services</h3>
SELCARE has the potential to be developed for use in various healthcare settings serving older adults. The platform could support services at community health centers (puskesmas), elderly integrated health posts (posyandu lansia), clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based healthcare services.
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One of the key strengths being assessed is SELCARE’s integration of AI-based adaptive cognitive assessment, monitoring of users’ conditions over a period of time, and a decision support system within a single platform. Its adaptive approach allows the difficulty level of the assessment to be adjusted according to users’ performance.
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Nevertheless, the expert team continues to prioritize evidence and implementation readiness as the primary basis for determining the technology’s future development.
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<h3>Preparing Recommendations for the Next Stage</h3>
Upon completion of the assessment, the team aims to produce a Pre-Feasibility Study that can serve as a basis for determining SELCARE’s next steps. The findings will provide an overview of the technology’s current position, aspects that still need to be strengthened, and potential commercialization pathways.
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The team will also identify potential users and partners who could support SELCARE’s development. FGDs and business matching activities are part of this effort, enabling the technology’s needs to be matched with parties that have the capacity to implement it.
“The final output is not simply a statement on whether the technology is feasible or not. Rather, it will provide operational recommendations: what needs to be improved, who the potential users or partners are, the implementation model, further development requirements, and strategies to mitigate risks before entering the commercialization stage,” Prof. Reni concluded.

USU PUBLIC RELATIONS – Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), through a multidisciplinary team of experts, is participating in the Pre-Feasibility Study Program for Fiscal Year 2027 under the Research Commercialization–Technology Promotion scheme of the Directorate General of Research and Development, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemdiktisaintek RI). The program

USU Expert Team Assesses SELCARE’s Readiness for Elderly Healthcare Technology Commercialization

Universitas

Raisha Andini

Indonesia's persistent development gap between its western and eastern regions—reflected in unequal access to education, healthcare, and financial services—continues to pose a structural challenge that cannot be resolved through economic growth alone. Against this backdrop, identifying the most effective policy measures to reduce income inequality has become an increasingly urgent issue that requires empirical rather than merely normative answers.
 
Addressing this challenge, Dr. Paidi, a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), conducted a study entitled "Examining the Connection Between Financial Inclusion and Income Inequality in Indonesia," published in the international journal Economies (MDPI). The research examines the determinants of income inequality across Indonesian provinces using dynamic panel data from 33 provinces between 2015 and 2023. North Kalimantan was excluded due to limited data availability during the early years of the study. The data were obtained from official sources, including Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), the Financial Services Authority (OJK), and Bank Indonesia.
 
The 2015–2023 period was selected because it encompasses both the implementation of Indonesia's National Financial Inclusion Strategy (SNKI) and the COVID-19 pandemic, two significant events that substantially influenced income inequality and public access to financial services.
 
The study examined the impact of four key variables on income inequality: the Financial Inclusion Index, the Human Development Index (HDI), foreign direct investment (FDI), and domestic investment. The Financial Inclusion Index was constructed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), enabling a more comprehensive representation of access to, availability of, and usage of financial services.
 
To identify causal relationships among these variables while accounting for the possibility that current inequality is influenced by inequality in previous years, the study employed the two-step Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), an econometric approach specifically designed for dynamic panel data. The model was subjected to validity and autocorrelation tests to ensure the methodological reliability of the findings.
 
The results reveal that income inequality in Indonesia exhibits a very high degree of persistence. In other words, provinces experiencing high levels of inequality in one period are likely to continue experiencing similar conditions in subsequent periods unless strong policy interventions are implemented. This finding indicates that inequality is shaped not only by current economic conditions but also by long-standing structural factors.
 
The study further demonstrates that expanding access to formal financial services has a negative and statistically significant relationship with income inequality, suggesting that greater financial inclusion can serve as an important instrument for promoting more equitable economic development.
 
Conversely, foreign investment tends to be concentrated in capital-intensive industries and already-developed regions, increasing the risk of widening regional disparities when not accompanied by more inclusive policies. Domestic investment, meanwhile, showed a positive but statistically insignificant relationship with income inequality, indicating that it remains concentrated in relatively developed regions and has yet to function effectively as a tool for economic equalization.
 
These findings provide valuable empirical evidence for designing more targeted financial inclusion policies while offering strategic recommendations for reducing regional development disparities across Indonesia.
 
According to Dr. Paidi, Indonesia's geographical characteristics as an archipelagic nation create unique structural challenges for financial inclusion, particularly in regions where conventional banking infrastructure remains difficult to access. This distinctive geographic context differentiates Indonesia from continental countries and explains why financial inclusion may play a particularly important corrective role within the country's highly decentralized institutional framework.
 
The study's most significant finding concerns financial inclusion itself. The broader the public's access to formal financial services—including savings accounts, microcredit, and digital payment systems—the lower the level of income inequality observed across provinces.
 
Dr. Paidi explained that access to formal financial services enables low-income households to escape dependence on loan sharks and high-interest informal lenders while providing them with the capital needed to develop productive businesses independently. This pattern is consistent with findings from similar studies conducted in developing countries, ranging from Ecuador to several African nations, where formal financial access has proven to be an effective pathway toward more equitable economic development.
 
Meanwhile, the Human Development Index showed a relationship consistent with economic theory: higher levels of education, health, and purchasing power are associated with lower income inequality. However, its effect was not statistically significant within the study period. Rather than suggesting that human development is unimportant, the findings indicate that its impact is more likely to materialize over the long term, particularly given the substantial disparities in educational quality among Indonesian provinces. For example, the gap between Jakarta and Papua remains too wide for improvements in human development to produce uniform equalizing effects in the short term.
 
One of the study's more surprising findings relates to investment. Foreign investment in Indonesia has largely been concentrated in capital-intensive sectors such as heavy manufacturing and mining, industries that generate relatively limited employment opportunities for local communities. Furthermore, these investments are primarily located in infrastructure-rich regions such as West Java, Banten, and Jakarta. Rather than serving as a driver of equitable development, such concentration risks widening the economic divide between investment-receiving regions and less-developed areas.
 
According to Dr. Paidi, these findings do not suggest that foreign investment should be restricted. Instead, investment policies should be redirected toward labor-intensive industries and regions that have historically received limited investment so that economic growth can be distributed more evenly across the country rather than remaining concentrated in already-developed areas.
 
Based on these findings, the study proposes more targeted policy recommendations than the general call to "expand financial access." For example, Indonesia's People's Business Credit (KUR) program should be more specifically directed toward provinces with the highest levels of inequality through dedicated credit guarantee schemes that effectively reach low-income communities.
 
Given Indonesia's archipelagic geography, the research also recommends prioritizing the expansion of financial technology (fintech) services and agent banking initiatives such as Laku Pandai over the construction of additional physical bank branches, as these approaches are considered more efficient in serving remote areas.
 
In addition, large-scale foreign investment projects should be required to establish supply-chain linkages with local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) rather than operating as isolated economic enclaves disconnected from surrounding communities.
 
The research demonstrates that financial inclusion should not be viewed solely as a financial sector development strategy but also as a key policy instrument for fostering more inclusive economic growth and reducing regional income inequality in Indonesia. Combined with more equitable human development and inclusive investment policies, financial inclusion has the potential to support more sustainable and balanced economic prosperity throughout the country.
 
Dr. Paidi also emphasized that while the study demonstrates strong statistical correlations based on nine years of data, the findings should not be interpreted as universally applicable causal relationships under all circumstances. He encouraged future research to investigate possible threshold effects—for example, whether financial inclusion becomes significantly more effective in reducing inequality only after a region reaches a certain level of human capital development—and to compare the mechanisms operating in western and eastern Indonesia, where financial infrastructure differs considerably.
 
This study serves as a clear example of how academic research conducted at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Sumatera Utara, extends beyond theoretical discussions by providing empirical evidence that can directly inform policymakers in their efforts to promote more inclusive and equitable economic growth across Indonesia.
 
Paper Details
<ul data-start="10156" data-end="10453" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="">
<li data-section-id="23e0ig" data-start="10156" data-end="10189">
Journal: Economies (MDPI)</li>
<li data-section-id="lq49f6" data-start="10190" data-end="10292">
Title: Examining the Connection Between Financial Inclusion and Income Inequality in Indonesia
</li>
<li data-section-id="1ists42" data-start="10293" data-end="10312">
Author: Paidi</li>
<li data-section-id="51daw7" data-start="10313" data-end="10400">
Author Affiliation: Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Sumatera Utara</li>
<li data-section-id="7e20h7" data-start="10401" data-end="10453" data-is-last-node="">
DOI: <a class="decorated-link" href="https://doi.org/10.3390/economies14040122" data-start="10412" data-end="10453" rel="noopener" target="_new" data-is-last-node="">https://doi.org/10.3390/economies14040122</a>
</li>
</ul>

Examining the Connection Between Financial Inclusion and Income Inequality in Indonesia pada jurnal internasional Economies (MDPI)

USU Researchers Reveals the Key to Reducing Income Inequality in Indonesia

Dr. Paidi, SE., M.Si.

Research findings reveal that although soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections have declined significantly worldwide, anemia prevalence among children under five and women of reproductive age continues to fluctuate. After adjusting for socioeconomic factors, STH was no longer found to have a significant effect on anemia. Instead, anemia among children under five was primarily associated with the Human Development Index (HDI), while anemia among women of reproductive age was linked to access to safe drinking water and universal health coverage. These findings support a shift in anemia prevention strategies from relying solely on deworming programs to adopting broader, multisectoral interventions.
 Anemia and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), such as soil-transmitted helminth infections, have long been considered closely interconnected because they share similar geographic distributions and risk factors, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. A study entitled Impact of Soil-Transmitted Helminths Infections on Anemia Burden: A Global Analysis of Children Under Five and Reproductive-Age Women, published in BMC Public Health (2025) by Rahayu Lubis, Fauzi Budi Satria, Rasmaliah, Jemadi, and Siti Khadijah Nasution from the Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), in collaboration with Rafdzah Ahmad Zaki from the University of Malaya, re-examined this assumption on a global scale using data from 187 countries collected between 2015 and 2019.
 In many developing countries, anemia and helminth infections are often regarded as inseparable health problems that are expected to improve simultaneously through mass deworming programs. However, anemia remains a major global health challenge, affecting approximately 1.62 billion people worldwide. Among children under five and pregnant women, anemia can result in long-term consequences, including impaired cognitive development and an increased risk of mortality. Children under five require higher iron intake to support growth and development, while women of reproductive age have greater iron requirements due to menstruation and pregnancy. Both groups are therefore highly vulnerable to anemia and remain key targets of the World Health Organization’s NTD Roadmap 2030.
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To better understand why these two conditions sometimes overlap and sometimes diverge at the population level, the researchers applied the SYSRA framework, which is commonly used to examine interactions between infectious disease programs and broader health systems. Four potential confounding factors were incorporated into the analysis: the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index, safe water and sanitation indicators under SDGs 6.1 and 6.2, Government Effectiveness, and the Human Development Index (HDI). The rationale was straightforward—both helminth infections and anemia are more prevalent in areas with poor sanitation, limited healthcare access, and weak governance. Without accounting for these structural factors, any observed relationship between STH and anemia could be misleading.
 Methodologically, the research employed an ecological study design, meaning that the unit of analysis was countries rather than individuals. Data on STH prevalence and anemia burden were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database, while UHC, water and sanitation, government effectiveness, and HDI data were sourced respectively from the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Countries were categorized into high- and low-prevalence groups using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Clustering approach. Statistical analyses included paired t-tests to assess annual trends, chi-square tests to examine associations between variables, and multiple logistic regression to identify independent determinants of anemia after controlling for confounding variables.
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The first major finding showed that the prevalence of STH infections declined significantly every year between 2015 and 2019 among both children under five and women of reproductive age, indicating that global interventions such as mass deworming and improved sanitation have been effective. However, anemia did not exhibit the same pattern. Its prevalence fluctuated throughout the study period without showing a consistent downward trend. Numerically, STH prevalence among children under five (87.37 per 100,000 population) was much lower than among women of reproductive age (10,140.04 per 100,000 population). In contrast, anemia prevalence was significantly higher among children under five (248.29 per 100,000 population) than among women of reproductive age (104.37 per 100,000 population).
 Among the 187 countries analyzed, 52.94% were classified as having relatively low anemia prevalence, while 47.06% experienced high anemia prevalence. Countries with the greatest anemia burden consistently shared similar characteristics, including low HDI, weak government effectiveness, inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure, and limited UHC coverage, illustrating a pattern of overlapping structural vulnerabilities.
The study’s most significant finding emerged from the multivariate logistic regression analysis. In the initial bivariate analysis using chi-square tests, STH appeared to be significantly associated with anemia among children under five, suggesting that helminth infections contributed to childhood anemia. However, after simultaneously controlling for HDI, government effectiveness, water and sanitation, and UHC, the association disappeared. STH was no longer a statistically significant determinant of anemia among either children under five (OR = 1.62; p = 0.59) or women of reproductive age (OR = 0.59; p = 0.21).
Instead, the analysis identified HDI as the strongest determinant of anemia among children under five. Countries with low HDI were 14.17 times more likely to experience high childhood anemia prevalence (p &lt; 0.05). Among women of reproductive age, the significant determinants were limited access to safe drinking water under SDG 6.1 (OR = 3.98; p &lt; 0.05) and low UHC coverage (OR = 4.09; p &lt; 0.05), indicating substantially higher risks of anemia in countries lacking these essential services.
 These findings differ from many previous studies that consistently reported positive associations between STH infections and anemia in both children and women of reproductive age. The discrepancy is likely attributable to the ecological nature of the study, which captures patterns at the national rather than individual level. Consequently, structural determinants such as human development and healthcare access appear more influential than the direct biological effects of helminth infections on hemoglobin levels. Differences in national deworming program coverage may also help explain the divergence from earlier research.
 The implications are substantial. The study suggests that efforts to reduce anemia among children under five and women of reproductive age should no longer rely exclusively on deworming initiatives, important though they remain within the global NTD agenda. Instead, broader interventions are needed, including comprehensive human development policies for children, expanded access to safe drinking water, and stronger universal health coverage for women of reproductive age. Poverty reduction, clean water infrastructure, and strengthened health systems should complement conventional public health programs rather than serve merely as supporting measures.
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Ultimately, the study demonstrates that although soil-transmitted helminth infections are declining globally due to successful deworming programs and improved sanitation, anemia persists because its underlying causes are far more complex, rooted in inequalities in development, limited access to clean water, and gaps within health systems. The researchers emphasize that, because of the ecological study design, the findings cannot establish causal relationships at the individual level. They therefore recommend future research using individual-level data while considering co-infections such as malaria and HIV to strengthen the evidence base and support more targeted interventions.
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<h3 class="PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer" data-section-id="ocad6k" data-start="9838" data-end="9861">Research Highlights</h3>
<ul data-start="9862" data-end="11168">
<li data-section-id="1m2a97n" data-start="9862" data-end="10081">Ecological study covering 187 countries (2015–2019) examining the relationship between STH infections and anemia burden among children under five and women aged 15–49 years using Global Burden of Disease data.</li>
<li data-section-id="1268h14" data-start="10082" data-end="10314">STH prevalence declined significantly each year (p &lt; 0.05) among children under five (87.37/100,000) and women of reproductive age (10,140.04/100,000), whereas anemia prevalence fluctuated without a consistent decline.</li>
<li data-section-id="19urs08" data-start="10315" data-end="10480">Anemia prevalence among children under five (248.29/100,000) was significantly higher than among women of reproductive age (104.37/100,000) (p &lt; 0.05).</li>
<li data-section-id="1l095bf" data-start="10481" data-end="10579">
52.94% of countries had low average anemia prevalence, while 47.06% had high prevalence.</li>
<li data-section-id="10rww2w" data-start="10580" data-end="10775">Multivariate analysis showed that STH was not a significant determinant of anemia among children under five (OR = 1.62; p = 0.59) or women of reproductive age (OR = 0.59; p = 0.21).</li>
<li data-section-id="1yy4e0q" data-start="10776" data-end="10885">Low HDI increased the risk of high childhood anemia prevalence by 14.17 times (95% CI: 4.25–44.66).</li>
<li data-section-id="ptvptp" data-start="10886" data-end="11044">Limited access to safe drinking water (SDG 6.1) increased the risk of anemia among women of reproductive age by 3.98 times (95% CI: 1.35–11.78).</li>
<li data-section-id="1qecl4v" data-start="11045" data-end="11168">Low UHC coverage increased the risk of anemia among women of reproductive age by 4.09 times (95% CI: 1.06–15.69).</li>
</ul>
<h3 data-section-id="h4yl2q" data-start="11170" data-end="11187">Paper Details</h3>
<ul data-start="11188" data-end="11959" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="">
<li data-section-id="1dls5mn" data-start="11188" data-end="11252">
Journal: BMC Public Health, Vol. 25, Article 1356 (2025)</li>
<li data-section-id="1arwd63" data-start="11253" data-end="11401">
Title: Impact of Soil-Transmitted Helminths Infections on Anemia Burden: A Global Analysis of Children Under Five and Reproductive-Age Women
</li>
<li data-section-id="18r7ag9" data-start="11402" data-end="11515">
Authors: Rahayu Lubis, Fauzi Budi Satria, Rasmaliah, Jemadi, Siti Khadijah Nasution, and Rafdzah Ahmad Zaki</li>
<li data-section-id="oxn51a" data-start="11516" data-end="11905">
Affiliations: Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Sumatera Utara; Doctoral Program in Medical Science &amp; Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara; Regional Collaborating Centre USU–SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, Medan; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur</li>
<li data-section-id="1f4034f" data-start="11906" data-end="11959" data-is-last-node="">
DOI: <a class="decorated-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22572-z" data-start="11917" data-end="11959" data-is-last-node="" rel="noopener" target="_new">https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22572-z</a>
</li>
</ul>

Impact of soil-transmitted helminths infections on anemia burden: a global analysis of children under five and reproductive-age women

USU Researchers: Global Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections Decline, but Anemia in Children Under Five and Women of Reproductive Age Remains Unresolved

Nelly Anna, together with Evalina Herawati, Novita Anggraini, Jajang Sutiawan, Bagastha Olky Narsiga Bangun, and Lastrisa Desfa Banjarnahor, a research team from Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), conducted field research in community plantations to determine whether jabon trees (Neolamarckia cadamba) grown alongside coffee plants truly become stunted or produce lower-quality timber, as many farmers have long feared. Jabon is a well-known native Indonesian tree species valued for its rapid growth and versatile timber, which is widely used for plywood, furniture, and packaging materials. Its sap and leaves have also traditionally been utilized for medicinal purposes in various regions.
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Through a study entitled "Growth and Wood Physical Properties of Neolamarckia cadamba (Jabon) under Agroforestry System," the researchers evaluated the growth of 161 thirteen-year-old jabon trees planted alongside coffee at a spacing of 3 × 3 meters. This planting pattern represents the agroforestry systems commonly practiced by local communities to integrate forestry and agricultural production sustainably. To examine wood quality in greater detail, three representative trees were felled and analyzed from the base to the top of the stem and from the heartwood to the outer layers. Such extensive fieldwork required considerable time, patience, and precision, reflecting the team's commitment to producing reliable scientific evidence.
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The results provide reassuring news for farmers who rely on jabon as an important source of income. At thirteen years of age, the trees in the mixed plantation reached an average height of 18 meters with an average stem diameter of 36 centimeters, demonstrating healthy growth comparable to jabon cultivated in monoculture plantations. Most trees exhibited consistent height and diameter classes, indicating stable and uniform development rather than exceptional performance by only a few individuals. The research site also featured favorable environmental conditions, including a cool climate, sufficient rainfall, and fertile soils commonly found in many community plantations across North Sumatra.
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The researchers extended their investigation beyond measuring tree height and diameter by examining the physical properties of the wood itself. They found that the lower sections of the stem contained higher moisture content than the upper sections, while wood density followed the opposite pattern, becoming denser and heavier toward the upper stem. These findings provide valuable information for wood processors and manufacturers by identifying which portions of the stem are better suited for specific applications. Denser wood can be prioritized for products requiring greater strength, while less dense sections remain suitable for products with lower structural demands.
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Most importantly, laboratory analyses demonstrated that the wood quality of jabon grown in the agroforestry system remained within the acceptable range for industrial use and was comparable to timber produced from monoculture plantations. These findings directly challenge the long-standing assumption that intercropping coffee with jabon reduces timber quality. The researchers also observed that faster-growing trees tended to produce slightly lighter wood because the wood tissue remained relatively juvenile and had not yet reached the density found in more slowly growing trees. Rather than weakening the study, this observation strengthens the credibility of the findings by providing a realistic explanation for natural variation in wood characteristics.
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For farmers, the implications extend well beyond scientific measurements. Growing coffee alongside jabon enables farming households to generate annual income from coffee harvests while simultaneously building long-term savings through timber production, without worrying that the wood will lose its market value at harvest. Such agroforestry systems also help maintain soil moisture and fertility through the complementary root systems of both crops, reducing the risks of erosion and drought. Equally important, farmers can meet future timber demand without clearing additional forest land, since timber production is integrated into the same agricultural landscape.
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Published in the Asian Journal of Forestry, this research represents more than an academic contribution. It provides practical scientific evidence that farmers can directly apply when making land management decisions. The dedication of Nelly Anna and her colleagues—carefully examining each section of the stem, measuring every wood sample, and analyzing each dataset—demonstrates how rigorous scientific research can generate tangible benefits for local communities. At a time when forest conservation remains an increasingly urgent challenge, the study offers an encouraging message: farmers do not have to choose between cultivating coffee or producing timber. Both can thrive together in a well-managed agroforestry system, creating sustainable environmental and economic benefits for farming families.

Growth and Wood Physical Properties of Neolamarckia cadamba (Jabon) under Agroforestry System

Growing Coffee While Investing in Timber: Scientific Evidence from Community Plantations in Deli Serdang

Amid the rapid pace of digital transformation, a company’s ability to process data and integrate systems has become more than just a supporting asset—it is now a critical factor in gaining a competitive advantage. The telecommunications industry, as the driving force behind connectivity, stands at the center of this transformation. Telecommunications companies are no longer expected to merely provide network infrastructure; they must continuously generate innovative solutions to remain relevant in a market characterized by rapidly evolving consumer demands.
 
A strategic study entitled “Enhancing Innovation Performance through Digital Platform Capability and Big Data Analytics: Evidence from Indonesia's Telecommunications Industry,” published in the International Journal of Data and Network Science, explores this phenomenon in depth. The national-scale research was conducted by a team from the Department of Management Science, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), consisting of Dicky Ardiansyah Aceh, Prihatin Lumbanraja, Yeni Absah, and Ritha F. Dalimunthe.
 
As a senior management scholar and the corresponding author of the study, Prihatin Lumbanraja highlighted the unique characteristics of Indonesia’s digital landscape. The telecommunications industry in Indonesia operates within a market that combines a massive mobile-user base with a very high level of digital adoption. This vast market creates intense competition, where consumer expectations can shift within days. Such conditions make Indonesia an ideal laboratory for examining the extent to which technological investments truly influence organizational innovation performance rather than merely serving as corporate buzzwords.
 
Using the theoretical frameworks of the Resource-Based View (RBV) and the Dynamic Capability View (DCV), Prihatin Lumbanraja and her team analyzed data from 331 managerial and supervisory-level respondents working at major Indonesian telecommunications companies, including Telkomsel, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, XL Axiata, and Smartfren. These managerial respondents were deliberately selected because they are directly involved in operational and strategic technological decision-making. The analysis, conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), revealed that superior innovation performance stems from the synergy of two key digital strengths: Digital Platform Capability and Big Data Analytics Capability.
 
The study found that big data analytics capability contributes even more significantly to driving innovation performance. In today’s internet-driven environment, every screen tap, call duration, and browsing activity generates enormous volumes of raw data every second. However, this vast amount of data becomes little more than digital clutter if organizations lack the analytical infrastructure necessary to transform it into valuable insights.
 
When telecommunications companies optimize their analytical capabilities, they gain the ability to detect hidden consumer behavior patterns, forecast market trends with greater accuracy, and minimize business risks before launching new products. One direct impact is the shortening of product development cycles. Rather than relying on assumptions about customer preferences, companies can develop innovative data packages, value-added services (VAS), and personalized digital assistant applications—such as MyTelkomsel and myIM3—based on accurate, real-time data. In this context, data evolves from a mere information asset into a rare and difficult-to-replicate source of competitive advantage.
 
However, accurate data requires an agile integration platform. This is where the second pillar—digital platform capability—plays an equally important role. The USU research team confirmed that a strong digital platform serves as the foundation that integrates various business processes in a modular and flexible manner. Such a platform is not simply software; it is an integrated infrastructure that enables telecommunications companies to communicate, share data, and collaborate with external stakeholders, including content providers, SMEs, and third-party application developers.
 
With advanced platform capabilities, the marginal costs of collaboration can be significantly reduced. Knowledge exchange becomes faster, bureaucratic barriers are minimized, and organizations can absorb external information more efficiently. When markets experience sudden disruptions or shifts, companies with mature digital platforms can rapidly reconfigure their resources and develop more adaptive business models.
 
Through these findings, Prihatin Lumbanraja and the FEB USU research team deliver an important message to practitioners in the digital industry. Genuine digital transformation is not simply about investing large budgets in sophisticated technologies or building impressive data centers. Even the most advanced technology becomes ineffective if it is not supported by capable human resources.
 
Therefore, the greatest challenge facing telecommunications corporations in Indonesia today is fostering a cultural transformation within the workplace. Organizations are encouraged to actively develop data literacy among employees at all levels and ensure that strategic decisions are based on data-driven insights rather than intuition or outdated practices.
 
Furthermore, companies must cultivate work environments that encourage experimentation, support innovative ideas, and promote continuous learning. The combination of intelligent analytics technologies, flexible digital platforms, and a strong data-driven culture among employees forms a “golden triangle” that will enable corporations in developing countries such as Indonesia to remain competitive and lead the digital market on the global stage.

USU Expert Team Assesses SELCARE’s Readiness for Elderly Healthcare Technology Commercialization

USU Expert Team Assesses SELCARE’s Readiness for Elderly Healthcare Technology Commercialization

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