Management of Technology Laboratory, School of Business and Management (MoT Lab SBM-ITB) held first internship collaborating with agro-technology startup BIOPS Agrotekno. The internship was part of the living lab concept, meaning that the activities are not only limited to campus, but students experience a real-life lab in society.
The living lab enabled the students to have direct experience interacting with the community. The internship was attended by four MBA-ITB students for two months, from June to July 2021. The students were Mohammad Iqbal Ibrahim, Muhammad Nabil Ulwan, Nisaul Hasanah, and Yoel Iman.
Yoel said, in this internship, the students identified opportunities for technology penetration in the agriculture sector and its business development in Northern and Southern Bandung. The agricultural technology was an IoT-based automated plant watering system controlled by a smartphone.
The students helped BIOPS understand the characteristics of the farmers, the type of the plants, and the plant system in the observed territories. Next, they tried to understand their problems related to its watering system and proved that BIOPS products could be a solution.
After understanding the characteristics of farmers, type of plants, and farming system in the field trip, the students recommended the marketing side for the BIOPS products in the future. They analyzed how BIOPS products can be used by farm owners around Bandung city using social media platforms.
“This internship focuses on marketing by searching and meeting the farm owners around Bandung city using social media platforms. Then, we will contact them, arrange the meeting, and analyze data to take action”, said Yoel.
Yoel said that the internship was interesting because of meeting new people and getting a unique insight into the agriculture sector. The students then reported the findings obtained from this internship in the biweekly discussion (progress meeting). The session was moderated by Dr.rer.pol. Eko Agus Prasetio and Dedy Sushandoyo, Ph.D., as academic advisors. BIOPS teams were also involved in the discussion as field advisors to monitor the progress and result of the internship for the future BIOPS.
Eko said students registered to MoT Lab to start the internship, and the lab members gave an introduction and briefing. Then, the students did a field visit for observing, interviewing, and introducing products. The output of the internship is a report of the process of apprenticeship from the beginning to the end. It also covers the analysis and recommendation for BIOPS as an industrial practitioner and ITB from the academics perspective.*
