Jakarta, July 24, 2026 – As PT Darya-Varia Laboratoria Tbk ("Darya-Varia" or the "Company") celebrates its 50th anniversary in Indonesia, the Company reaffirms its commitment to continue contributing to the future of Indonesia's healthcare, not only by providing high-quality healthcare products, but also by investing in the development of future talent. As part of this commitment, Darya-Varia once again presents D-STAR 2026 (Darya-Varia Scholarship for Talented Aspiring Women Researchers) under the theme "Empowering Women Researchers to Level Up as Future Leaders." The program reflects the Company's commitment to expanding opportunities for young women to grow as researchers, innovators, and leaders who will contribute to advancing Indonesia's healthcare sector.

Entering its third year, D-STAR continues to evolve beyond a scholarship program. Through research funding, leadership development, access to industry practitioners, and professional networking opportunities, Darya-Varia aims to prepare more young women to contribute to research and innovation that create meaningful impact for society. The program also reflects the Company's belief that diversity of perspectives in research will generate healthcare solutions that are more inclusive, relevant, and sustainable.

"As Darya-Varia marks its 50th anniversary, we want to ensure that our contribution extends beyond providing high-quality healthcare products. We are equally committed to investing in the talent that will shape the future of healthcare in Indonesia. We believe women play a strategic role in driving innovation and scientific advancement, making it essential for academia and industry to work together in creating greater opportunities for women to grow and lead," said dr. Ian Kloer, President Director of PT Darya-Varia Laboratoria Tbk.

This year, one of the research focus areas of the D-STAR scholarship program is the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This focus is driven by the continuing AI gender gap. According to global data from Harvard Business School and Lean In, men are 16–22% more likely than women to use generative AI regularly. Meanwhile, women currently account for only around 26% of AI specialist roles in the technology industry.

"Through D-STAR, we aspire to empower more talented young women to become researchers, innovators, and leaders who are capable of delivering healthcare solutions that address society's evolving needs. We hope this program will help increase women's representation in the research community while creating sustainable impact for Indonesia's healthcare ecosystem," added dr. Ian.

Darya-Varia believes that diversity of perspectives in research and innovation will lead to healthcare solutions that are more inclusive and relevant to society's needs. Therefore, the Company continues to encourage greater participation of women in science, technology, and healthcare research as part of its efforts to build a sustainable innovation ecosystem in Indonesia.

Prof. Dr. apt. Ilma Nugrahani, S.Farm., M.Si., Professor at the School of Pharmacy, Institut Teknologi Bandung, believes that collaboration between universities and industry is an important step toward strengthening Indonesia's research ecosystem.

"The greatest challenge faced by women researchers is not academic capability, but creating an ecosystem that enables them to grow as researchers and future leaders in the healthcare sector. D-STAR is an excellent example of collaboration that bridges academia and industry, providing young talents with opportunities to expand their professional networks, enhance their competencies, and produce research that is relevant to society's needs," said Prof. Ilma.

Astry Tri Astuti, Director of Growth Ventures at PT Darya-Varia Laboratoria Tbk and a judge for D-STAR 2026, stated:

"My journey began as a pharmacy student conducting laboratory-scale research, and today I have the privilege of leading Growth Ventures at Darya-Varia. That experience taught me that Indonesian women possess extraordinary potential when they are given the opportunity to grow. Through D-STAR, we want to create more opportunities for women to develop as researchers, innovators, and future leaders. For Darya-Varia, empowering women is not merely this year's theme—it is part of our corporate culture, where women are given equal opportunities to lead and create meaningful impact."

This year, D-STAR also expands its collaboration with the academic community. While previous editions of the program partnered with the University of Indonesia, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Airlangga, and the School of Pharmacy, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Darya-Varia is pleased to welcome Universitas Pancasila as its newest partner university. This expansion is expected to provide opportunities for more female students to develop their research potential while strengthening collaboration between academia and industry.

As part of its long-term commitment and in response to the strong enthusiasm shown by young women pursuing careers in research, Darya-Varia has strengthened the scholarship scheme for D-STAR 2026. In addition to the Main Scholarship valued at Rp30,000,000, awarded to the primary recipient of the program, Darya-Varia is introducing two additional scholarship categories for each partner university: the D-STAR Achievement Scholarship, valued at Rp5,000,000, and the D-STAR Appreciation Scholarship, also valued at Rp5,000,000.

The expanded scholarship scheme is intended to provide broader support for promising female students at each partner institution while encouraging the development of more research innovations that address the needs of society.