Switzerland-Indonesia: Close cooperation in the private sector to be further intensified
On Monday, 22 April 2024, the third annual meeting of the Swiss-Indonesian Trade and Sustainability Council took place in Zurich. The Council was established by economiesuisse and KADIN following the entry into force of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the EFTA states and Indonesia. As part of this platform, various private sector players from both countries discussed current and new projects in the area of sustainability.
In May 2022, economiesuisse together with the Indonesian business umbrella organisation KADIN established the Swiss-Indonesian Trade and Sustainability Council ("Council"). This has created an important platform in the bilateral relationship that enables cross-industry dialogue on sustainability projects in the private sector. On Monday, 22 April 2024, the member organisations of the Council met for the third annual meeting at economiesuisse in Zurich.
New investment protection agreement will strengthen trade and investment dynamics
In their welcoming addresses, Christoph Mäder, Chairman of economiesuisse, and Arsjad Rasjid P.M., Chairman of KADIN, emphasised their firm belief that the private sector has an important role to play in deepening trade relations and as a driver of sustainability. Christoph Mäder was also very pleased that the bilateral agreement on the promotion and protection of investments between Switzerland and Indonesia may soon enter into force. It is expected that the new investment protection agreement, in combination with the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that came into force in 2021, will significantly strengthen the trade and investment dynamics of Swiss companies in Indonesia and vice versa.
Sustainability projects in the private sector are driven forward
Subsequently, the participants gave an update on the current status of work in four focus areas of sustainability: textiles, education and training, natural ingredients in food production and green infrastructure. In his input, Stefan Brupbacher, Director of Swissmem, emphasised the relevance of sustainable textile machinery for the Indonesian textile industry. Moreover, Swiss Textiles is also actively involved in local sustainability projects. Omar Kassab, Head of Private Sector Engagement at Swisscontact, highlighted the importance of access to skills, knowledge, markets and technologies to make the Indonesian private sector even more competitive (e.g. with the Skills for Competitiveness S4C programme). Patrick Walser, Senior Infrastructure Consultant at Switzerland Global Enterprise S-GE, mentioned the important role of Swiss companies in the treatment of drinking water, in the expansion of transport infrastructure in Jakarta, but also in the construction of the new capital Nusantara. Annette Aprilana, Vice Chairman of KADIN Switzerland and responsible for sustainability projects, gave an overview of projects in the vocational training sector, such as the organisation of internships at local Swiss companies. Moreover, she addressed Indonesia's sustainability priorities according to the "2045 Golden Indonesia Roadmap".
Fair and sustainable supply chains through technological innovation
Last but not least, Manfred Borer, CEO of Koltiva, presented a Swiss success story in the area of traceability of supply chains in agriculture. Sustainable supply chains are playing an increasingly important role in today's world. People want to know exactly where the products they buy come from and how they were produced. In a globalised world in which most goods pass through several production stages or intermediaries, traceability is a challenge that should not be underestimated. And this is where Koltiva comes in: the Swiss SME is active in the agricultural technology sector and shows how digital solutions can be used to promote sustainable supply chains. Koltiva's applications are now being used successfully in around 60 countries around the world.
Contact persons:
Luc Schnurrenberger, Deputy Head of International Relations, economiesuisse,
email: [email protected]
Francis Wanandi, Chairman Bilateral Relations Switzerland, KADIN,
email: [email protected]
Stefan Brupbacher, Director, Swissmem,
email: [email protected]
Björn von der Crone, Head of Economic Policy, Swiss Textiles,
email: [email protected]
Omar Kassab, Head of Private Sector Engagement, Swisscontact,
email: [email protected]
Patrick Walser, Senior Infrastructure Consultant, Switzerland Global Enterprise S-GE,
email: [email protected]
Manfred Borer, CEO, Koltiva,
email: [email protected]
