Synergy between ULM and MSMEs: Herbal Product Innovation for the Digital Market
BANJARBARU – A team of lecturers from Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) provided mentoring to the Mitra Idaman Banjarbaru SME House, which had been experiencing business stagnation. Through community service activities, the ULM team focused on product innovation, packaging training, and digital marketing strategies.
The head of the community service team, Rahmi Hidayati, explained that the Mitra Idaman SME House previously only produced massage oil and amplang (rice crackers) since its establishment in 2015. However, limited production equipment, limited product variety, and a lack of digital marketing capabilities made it difficult for the business to grow.
“We saw an opportunity to add a health drink variant that could open up new markets, so we introduced the innovative 100-gram ginger coffee package,” she said.
The new product is made from affordable raw materials but has significant market potential due to the growing popularity of herbal drinks. Furthermore, the ULM team provided training in modern packaging and digital marketing strategies to make the product more competitive and marketable through online platforms.
“We hope this will expand product marketing and increase sales,” Rahmi added.
The head of the Mitra Idaman UKM House, Arifin, welcomed this collaboration. He stated that the mentoring from ULM has been very helpful in developing his business, which has been running for almost a decade.
“We are very grateful because we can introduce new products and be better prepared to compete in the market,” he said.
This community service activity also involved students from the Elementary School Teacher Education (PGSD), Diploma III Health Analyst, and Bachelor of Hospital Administration study programs at ULM. Through this involvement, students gained real-world experience interacting with the community while applying the knowledge they learned in college.
Funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, this activity demonstrates ULM’s contribution to supporting community economic empowerment through sustainable innovation in the MSME sector. “The involvement of lecturers and students is expected to further strengthen ULM’s role in mobilizing local potential,” Rahmi concluded.
