Ministry of Industry Collaborates with South Korea to Develop Machine Tool Industry

Director General of Metal, Machinery, Transportation Equipment and Electronics Industry, Taufiek Bawazier. (Photo: Doc. Ministry of Industry)

JAKARTA - The Directorate General of Metal, Machinery, Transportation Equipment and Electronics (ILMATE) of the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Korea Institute of Advancement of Technology (KIAT).

This is a commitment to develop and increase the capacity, industrial capability, and academia of Indonesian machine tools through the Machine Tools Industry Development Center (MTIDC) cooperation project since 2020.

The agreement was later realized in the form of a collaboration between KIAT, CAMTIC Advance Mechatronics Technology Institute for Commercialization, and the Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology.

Furthermore, this cooperation is implemented in the form of increasing the capacity of industrial human resources through training and education in the machine tool industry with experts from South Korea, assembling, and joint development of machine tools to stimulate the production of machine tools and their components in the country.

"Factors that need to be encouraged from the machine tool industry are the mastery of technology and the quality of Human Resources (HR). These two factors are very important to increase the production capability of the sub-sector", said Director General of ILMATE, Taufiek Bawazier, in a written statement, Thursday, November 3.

On the other hand, KIAT Director General Park Cheon Kyo said his party would support the development of other machines, such as CNC lathes.

"This can help the development of Indonesia's machine tool industry. This project is a symbol of technology and bilateral cooperation between South Korea and Indonesia to increase harmony and unity between countries", he said.

Just to note, machine tools are capital goods that are very important in supporting the development of the machinery industry because they function to produce high-value machine components and equipment.

The need for machine tools for factories, workshops, and education is almost all still dependent on imports.

Until now, domestic machine tool manufacturers are still producing simple light and medium-duty machine tools.