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At the Convention of Science and Technology for Economic Growth and Equality (KSTI 2025), Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist Professor Brian Schmidt delivered a powerful keynote address, urging Indonesia to adopt a long-term, collaborative, and supportive strategy for scientific research to drive its economic future. Speaking to leaders from the Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) on Friday, 8 August 2025 at Sabuga, Institut Teknologi Bandung. Schmidt argued that the greatest economic benefits emerge from fostering a vibrant ecosystem of curiosity-driven research.

Drawing parallels from his own field of astronomy, Professor Schmidt began by invoking the universal story of the Seven Sisters seen around the world. “It is in Greece, it is in India, it is in Thailand … it is shared amongst the world’s peoples” he says, using it as a metaphor for the shared human quest for knowledge. He traced the history of astronomy from Copernicus to Newton, how it is fundamental as the essence of Science and the development of the Scientific philosophy. Professor Schmidt stressed that science should not be seen as a collection of static facts, but instead as a continuous cycle of prediction, observation, and improvement.

Professor Schmidt then used his own Nobel Prize-winning work as a prime example of this scientific progress, whilst delving briefly into his own humble background growing up in the rural mountains of Alaska due his father’s work as a biologist. An international collaboration between Australia and the US to answer the question: what will be the fate of the Universe? With just a budget of $8000 AUD for airfare costs, Professor Schmidt demonstrates that the most crucial investment is often in people and their ideas, and that anyone can be a Nobel Prize winner provided they have the passion and perseverance for it. He shared that he was “not predetermined to be a Nobel Prize winner,” having grown up in a “normal place” with a “normal family,” a message of inspiration for Indonesian scientists from all backgrounds. “Science does not care where you were born, it is about what you get along to do” he states.

Building on his own discovery, Professor Schmidt made a compelling case for the economic value of such fundamental research. He provided several powerful examples of how revolutionary inventions were often unintended but valuable byproducts of pure scientific curiosity. The WiFi protocol, he explained, originated from astronomers trying to detect evaporating black holes. GPS navigation relies on Einstein's theories, and the CMOS camera in every smartphone is a descendant of technology from planetary missions. The World Wide Web and touch screens, he added, were developed at CERN simply to help scientists collaborate more effectively.

For Indonesia to harness this power, he outlined several key recommendations:

1. Foster a Frictionless Research Ecosystem: He argued that the most critical step is to shorten the distance between universities, research institutes, and companies, advocating for their co-location to create a fertile ground for collaboration.

2. Rethink Intellectual Property (IP): He warned against overly restrictive IP policies that can stifle innovation in its earliest stages. He pointed to Stanford University as a model, explaining that its wealth comes not from collecting licensing fees but from creating an environment where innovators can build successful companies, whose founders then contribute back to the institution.

3. Commit to Long-Term Investment: He held up Singapore as a powerful regional example, a nation with few natural resources that achieved a high GDP by consistently investing in research and technology for four decades. He made it clear that this kind of sustained commitment is what builds lasting capability.

4. Empower the Researchers: Recalling his own normal upbringing, he reminded the audience that scientific talent is not determined by a person's origin. He stressed that empowering researchers with time, infrastructure, and freedom is a high-leverage investment.

Professor Schmidt’s address served as a powerful validation of KSTI 2025’s mission. His message was that for Indonesia to achieve equitable and sustainable economic growth, we need to build a scientific ecosystem that interacts with the business ecosystem. He concluded that success doesn't come from forcing scientists to commercialize their work. Rather, the goal should be to create a "frictionless" system where government, academia, and industry work together, making it easy for great ideas to move from the lab to industry when the opportunity arises.