Lecturers from the Development Economics Study Program, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Sumatera Utara (FEB USU), were involved in the Public Consultation on the Initial Draft of the Regional Action Plan (RAD) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of North Sumatra Province for 2026–2030, as well as the Launching of the SDGs Business Registration System (BRS), held at Hotel Adimulia Medan on Monday (April 6, 2026). The event was part of a collaborative initiative involving the Government of North Sumatra Province, Universitas Sumatera Utara through the SDGs Center, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The launch of the SDGs BRS marked an important step toward promoting more structured and measurable participation of the business sector in achieving sustainable development.

During the event, Dr. Wahyu Ario Pratomo, S.E., M.Ec. served as a speaker, while Wahyu Sugeng Imam Soeparno, S.E., M.Si. served as the moderator. The discussion focused on the preparation of the North Sumatra Province RAD SDGs 2026–2030, which is designed to be data-driven and guided by evidence-based policy, while also introducing the SDGs BRS as a digital business registration system designed to integrate the contributions of the business sector into the achievement of SDGs targets.

The preparation of the North Sumatra Province RAD SDGs 2026–2030 also involved an implementation team from Universitas Sumatera Utara. Based on the Decision of the Chairperson of the Research Institute of Universitas Sumatera Utara Number 4455.6/UN5.4.10.K/PT.01.05/2026 dated February 18, 2026, the team consisted of Dr. Arif Rahman, S.E., M.Ec.Dev. as Team Leader/Regional Planning Expert; Dr. Monika Andarasari, S.E., M.Si. as Member/Public Policy Expert; Khairul Ali Hutasuhut, S.E., M.Si. as Member/Development Economics Expert; Irsad, S.E., M.Soc., Ph.D. as Member/Environmental Economics Expert; and Sukma Hayati Hakim, S.E., M.Si. as Member/Supporting Staff.

The launch of the SDGs BRS at the event marked an important milestone in strengthening sustainable development partnerships in North Sumatra. The system was described as Indonesia’s first digital business registration system to integrate the role of the business sector into sustainable development targets. As of the launch, a total of 199 business entities had registered, with a target of reaching 500 MSMEs by 2026. The initiative also received appreciation from JICA and was considered to have the potential to serve as a model for other provinces in Indonesia.

The involvement of lecturers from the Development Economics Study Program, FEB USU, in the preparation of the RAD SDGs and the implementation of the public consultation demonstrates the contribution of higher education institutions to supporting inclusive, sustainable, and data-driven regional development planning. Collaboration with the Government of North Sumatra Province and JICA is expected to strengthen the implementation of the SDGs in North Sumatra while encouraging greater participation from the business sector in achieving sustainable development targets.