Pendampingan Inovasi Berbasis Co-Creation oleh Mahasiswa Ekonomi Pembangunan Universitas Negeri Makassar pada UMKM Kuliner Implementasi Digitalisasi dan Diversifikasi Produk

Abstract

The transformation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through participatory innovation approaches has become increasingly crucial for enhancing the competitiveness of micro-scale businesses in the digital era. This study aimed to implement a co-creation-based mentoring model involving students from the Development Economics Program at Universitas Negeri Makassar (UNM) as innovation facilitators and Entrepreneurship lecturers as academic mentors in generating practical, low-cost innovations with direct impacts on business performance. The program employed a participatory approach grounded in experiential learning, consisting of systematic stages including orientation, business mapping, observation, innovation co-creation, implementation, and evaluation. The community service initiative was conducted with a traditional banana cake MSME in Makassar City. The results indicate that the adoption of QRIS-based digital payment systems, product diversification, and strengthened visual branding contributed to improved business attractiveness and increased sales performance. Furthermore, the co-creation approach enhanced the active involvement of business owners in the innovation process, thereby fostering greater ownership and sustainability of the implemented innovations.