Ciroyom Village in Cipeundeuy District, West Bandung Regency, located within the Ring 1 area of Cirata Reservoir, holds significant local economic potential. This ranges from bamboo woven crafts, palm sugar, traditional ‘pepetek’ snacks, to natural and culinary tourism in the Buangan area. However, this potential has not been optimally utilized due to constraints in capital, digital marketing, and business regeneration.
Addressing these challenges, a team from SBM ITB, has compiled a recommendation report titled “Developing Business Incubator Framework for SMEs and Tourism Development in Desa Ciroyom”. This report designs a comprehensive framework for establishing a village business incubator managed by the Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes).
“Until now, our bamboo weaving business has relied on middlemen with low selling prices. We need training for more modern designs and wider marketing reach,” said Mrs. Acih, one of the senior bamboo artisans in Ciroyom, explaining the challenges faced.
The report identified that MSMEs in Ciroyom, such as bamboo weaving, ‘pepetek’, and ‘liwet’ rice in Buangan, have high cultural and economic value but are still constrained by marketing, product innovation, and access to capital. The village business incubator is designed as a solution to overcome these barriers.
“The core of this incubator is not tech startups, but MSMEs rooted in local potential and village cultural identity. The goal is to create sustainable support infrastructure,” explained Dr. Liane Okdinawati, one of the lead researchers from SBM ITB. “We designed an early-stage incubator model with an Entrepreneurship Development Center (EDC) function, so that in addition to strengthening existing MSMEs, it also fosters new entrepreneurs from the village’s younger generation.”
This framework is supported by multi-stakeholder collaboration, involving BUMDes as the host, CSR support from PLN Nusantara Power, academic mentoring from SBM ITB, and the local government.
“We welcome this initiative. BUMDes Ciroyom is ready to transform from an administrative function into a driver of the village business ecosystem. With support from all parties, this incubator will become the engine of the village’s economy,” asserted Asep Saepullah, Head of Ciroyom Village.
The incubator’s success will be measured through a three-dimensional framework: organizational milestones (the institutional development of BUMDes over 3-5 years), short-term outcomes (MSME graduation rates, revenue increase), and long-term impact (job creation, village economic growth, and reduced youth migration).
“From PLN, we are committed to supporting this program through the CSR scheme. Sustainability is key. We are not only funding infrastructure but also strengthening human resource capacity and market access for the fostered MSMEs,” said Dian Widiantari, representative of CSR PLN Nusantara Power for West Java. With consistent implementation, the Ciroyom Village Incubator is projected to be not just a training facility, but a transformation platform that elevates local cultural identity, enhances MSME competitiveness, and establishes Ciroyom as a leading ecotourism and creative economy center in West Bandung. This model is also expected to be replicated in other villages across Indonesia.
