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Marking its 20th anniversary on Wednesday, the Indonesian Academy of Sciences released “Indonesian Prospects 2030,” a collection of essays on the role played by science and technology in the nation’s development.

“The academy [or AIPI] was born from the great vision of Indonesia’s founding fathers. It’s a forum for Indonesia’s leading scientists to express their opinions and to consider how the development and utilization of science and technology can work in the national interest,” AIPI Director Sangkot Marzuki said during the book launch at the Research Center for Science and Technology (Puspitek) in Serpong, Banten.

Based on its studies, the Academy predicted that the effects of the global economic crisis that hit in 2008 would continue to be felt until 2030.

“Indonesia by then would have more than 270 million people, most of them living on Java, which would continue to be the world’s most populated island,” Sangkot said. “By then, the island’s ecological and economic capacity would be most definitely worn out.”

Sangkot, however, was not all doom and gloom, pointing to the achievements of the past to reveal a more positive future.

The collection looks at the strategic issues, policy approaches to address the nation’s challenges and ideas for medium-term development plans. It also provides insights on politics, economy, culture and civilization, demography, education, health, science and technology.

AIPI stressed the need to educate society on the importance of science and technology in order to institutionalize individual research efforts and encourage innovation-based local industries. Intellectual property, copyrights and industrial design rights also have to be enforced.

Wednesday’s ceremony was attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who gave his encouragement to scientists and weighed in with his support for scientific innovation.

Yudhoyono said that innovations in science and technology were the key to dealing with a future of rapid technological advances. “The country has to improve its intellectual resources. If we want to excel, we have to work hard and adapt.”

The president reminded the audience that the budget for research and development had doubled over the past five years to Rp 1.9 trillion ($203 million).