World news story

UK and Indonesia to sign agreements on technology and innovation

The agreements will provide fully funded intensive training as well as innovation grants for joint projects on technology worth £800,000.

UK Minister for Asia Alok Sharma with Director General for Innovation Enhancement Dr Jumain Appe

UK Minister for Asia Alok Sharma with Director General for Innovation Enhancement Dr Jumain Appe

The British and Indonesian Governments today signed agreements on technology and innovation partnerships in Jakarta.

UK Minister for Asia Alok Sharma signed the agreement on an official visit to Indonesia, along with Director General for Innovation Enhancement Dr Jumain Appe. The signing was witnessed by British Ambassador Moazzam Malik and Indonesian Minister for Research, Technology and Higher Education Muhamad Nasir on Tuesday 11 October.

The agreements support collaboration between the Indonesian Ministry’s Directorate General for Innovation Enhancement and the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, which will provide fully funded intensive training for Indonesian “technopreneurs”, as well as innovation grants for joint projects on technology improvements worth £800,000.

UK Minister for Asia, Alok Sharma, said:

The UK is at the forefront of global innovation and proud to partner with Indonesia in nurturing technological innovations. Indonesia is an important partner country for the Newton Fund – the UK’s £375m official development assistance fund that aims to promote research and innovation cooperation. In this age of innovation, the UK will continue to collaborate with important partners like Indonesia to meet global challenges.

Indonesian Minister for Research, Technology and Higher Education Muhamad Nasir said:

Through the partnership with the UK scientific community under the Newton Fund programme, Indonesia can develop the capacity of its own innovators to be able to tackle developmental challenges. We want to leverage UK expertise and build an equal partnership by helping our innovators to learn best practice and collaborate on joint projects. This year will mark the first of what we hope to be a long-term fruitful bilateral collaboration in science and innovation.

Notes to Editors

  • The Newton Fund aims to promote the economic development and social welfare of either the partner countries or, through working with the partner country, to address the well being of communities.

  • Indonesia is a partner country for the Newton Fund – the UK’s £375m official development assistance fund that aims to promote research and innovation cooperation.

  • In Indonesia, the Newton Fund has been re-launched as UK-Indonesian Science and Technology Fund in March 2016. Newton Fund provides joint funding for research and innovation in partnership with the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, the Indonesian Science Fund and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences.

Published 11 October 2016