Indonesia and Korea Embark on a Journey of Maritime Empowerment with 'ODA KIOTEC' Signing Ceremony

Busan, 12 June 2024 — The Indonesian and Korean governments have agreed on a cooperation agreement to enhance human resource capacity through the Official Development Assistance (ODA) project titled "Establishment of the Integrated Ocean Fisheries Technology Training Center and Enhancing Capacity Building in Indonesia'' formally referred to as ODA KIOTEC. 

The Indonesian and Korean governments have agreed on a cooperation agreement to enhance human resource capacity through the Official Development Assistance (ODA) project titled "Establishment of the Integrated Ocean Fisheries Technology Training Center and Enhancing Capacity Building in Indonesia'' formally referred to as ODA KIOTEC. The agreement of the project was marked by the signing of the Implementation Arrangement (IA) by Mr. Firman Hidayat, Deputy for Maritime Resource Coordination, Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (CMMAI), Mr. I Nyoman Radiarta, Head of the Agency for Marine and Fisheries Human Resource Development (BPPSDMKP), Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), Dr. PARK Hansan, ODA Project Manager on behalf of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) and the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), and Ms. Ivonne M. Radjawane, Director of the Korea-Indonesia Marine Technology Cooperation Research Center (MTCRC) on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Busan, South Korea.

In the following speech, Dr. PARK Hansan expressed appreciation to all related parties, including MMAF for providing the space to establish KIOTEC. Dr. PARK continued with a presentation to give a brief overview of the Korea-Indonesia MTCRC and the ODA KIOTEC project. The Korea-Indonesia MTCRC is a joint government research center in the field of marine science and technology between Korea and Indonesia, established on September 14, 2018, at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) Campus in Cirebon. MTCRC is operated by KIOST and ITB, and its main functions include serving as a platform for cooperation, joint research, and capacity building to strengthen and promote practical cooperation between the two countries.

Building on the success of the previous ODA project, "Ocean and Coastal Basic Survey and Capacity Enhancement in Cirebon, Indonesia," which was completed in 2023, the governments of Indonesia and Korea agreed to continue integrated capacity-building cooperation and initiated the ODA KIOTEC project. This project is one of the key initiatives within the Korea Ocean ODA program that aims to enhance human resource capacity in Indonesia, particularly in the maritime sector, by promoting a synergistic approach to training, research, and international cooperation. Korea-Indonesia MTCRC, as the executing body, will establish an integrated and sustainable maritime education and training center in Jakarta, and develop and implement capacity-building programs for Indonesian human resources in the form of Master's and doctoral education programs, expert assignments, courses, and short-term training.

"We hope this cooperation will bring about significant progress and create sustained positive impacts for the enhancement of human resources in the field of marine science and technology.," said Ms. Ivonne M. Radjawane, who also hopes that this activity will pave the way for significant achievements and foster a spirit of cooperation that will benefit both Indonesia and Korea.