Minister Of SOEs Invites Intel To Invest Semiconductor In Indonesia

SOE Minister Erick Thohir. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir invites chipset manufacturers from the United States (US), Intel Corporation to invest in building a semiconductor industry in Indonesia.

The invitation was conveyed by Erick Thohir directly in front of Intel during a bilateral meeting with the Asian American Chamber of Commerce today at the Ministry of SOEs Office.

Erick said Intel itself has entered Indonesia by collaborating on a business-to-business (B2B) basis with private companies and SOEs.

However, Erick wants to invite Intel to invest in building a semiconductor industry in Indonesia.

"Intel, they have collaborated with various kinds of things, that's just the B2B process. It's just that I challenge, if possible, semiconductor development in Indonesia, not in other countries," he said at the Ministry of SOEs, Jakarta, Thursday, December 5.

Furthermore, Erick said, Smelter Manyar, which is in Gresik, East Java, owned by PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) will not only produce copper and gold cathodes, but also selenium.

Meanwhile, selenium is an important raw material for semiconductor components. Thus, there is potential that can be developed from downstreaming in Smelter Manyar.

"The derivative of the existing refinery in Gresik, which may have issued results in September 2025, means the downstream derivative, one of which is selenium," he said.

Erick explained that the invitation to invest in the semiconductor industrial sector was not only offered to Intel.

He said, his party is open if there are other American companies that want to invest.

"We also offer Intel, or other American semiconductor companies, to talk to the Minister of Investment. We happen to have the raw materials for selenium as a component for semiconductors," he said.

Erick said, Indonesia is a big market. He said this condition could also be a consideration for Intel to invest its funds in Indonesia in the semiconductor industry.

"If Intel sees Indonesia as a big market, there is nothing wrong with investment starting to be moved in Indonesia and coincidentally we have raw materials," he concluded.