Institutional Transformation of Pesantren Economy: The Strategic Role of the Lampung Province Pesantren Business Association (Hebitren)

Abstract

This study aims to analyse the strategies implemented by the Lampung Province Islamic Boarding School Economics and Business Association (Hebitren) to integrate economic institutions among Islamic boarding schools and strengthen their economic independence. The research approach was a descriptive qualitative case study, involving in-depth interviews with Hebitren administrators, Islamic boarding school supervisors, and inter-Islamic boarding school cooperative managers. Data were analysed through stages of reduction, presentation, and verification using source triangulation techniques. The research results show that the Lampung Province Hebitren strategy is implemented through the establishment of inter-Islamic boarding school cooperatives, the strengthening of human resource capacity, the provision of business management assistance, and the expansion of partnership networks based on sharia economic principles. However, the main challenges faced include low management literacy, limited capital, and suboptimal synergy between Islamic boarding schools. This strategy has been proven to encourage the transformation of Islamic boarding school economic institutions from a traditional system to a more professional, adaptive, and sustainable collaborative model. The implications of this research emphasise the importance of synergy between Islamic boarding schools, the government, and Islamic financial institutions in building an independent Islamic boarding school economic ecosystem. The novelty of this research lies in disclosing the cooperative model among Islamic boarding schools as a strategic instrument for integrating Islamic economic institutions at the regional level.