Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transmigration Minister Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara has offered research collaboration with Peking University in China to develop new economic growth centers beyond Java Island.
He stressed that Indonesia needs to build more production hubs and economic activity centers in various regions so that jobs, investment, and opportunities to improve welfare are not concentrated on Java Island.
"The next phase of transmigration must help drive industrialization beyond Java," Suryanagara said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.
He said this concerns where Indonesia builds production capacity, where good jobs are created, and whether people across the archipelago can share part in the nation's growth.
Suryanagara invited the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development (ISSCAD) and Peking University to explore applied research cooperation to support the transformation of Indonesia's transmigration areas.
He proposed a practical approach, namely selecting one or two transmigration areas as sites for joint studies by Indonesian and Chinese researchers and students.
The research is proposed to cover mapping of economic potential and value chains, identifying investment barriers, labor skill needs, and the technology best suited to the conditions of communities and areas.
The result is expected to be not merely academic publications, but practical recommendations that the government, businesses, and communities can use in making development decisions.
Suryanagara also highlighted opportunities to develop cooperation in agricultural research, technology, skills development, and food production systems in Salor and Wanam in Merauke District, South Papua.
The two areas had previously been the focus of cooperation exploration between Indonesian and Chinese partners.
According to him, developing transmigration areas required more than providing settlements and land.
Areas must also be connected to industrial activities, investment, technology, infrastructure, markets, and labor needs.
"A region must play a greater role than merely supplying raw materials. It must also be able to produce added value," he said.
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Translator: Aji, Kenzu
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
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