Technical Assistance II
From 27th May to 7th June, ARISE+ Indonesia led a delegation of officials from the Ministry of Investment/BKPM and the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) on a two-week Investment visit to Europe. The visit covered seven cities across three EU countries, namely: Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven in the Netherlands; Brussels in Belgium, and Lille, Dunkerque and finally Paris in France.
The visit was organised by ARISE+ Indonesia as part of an effort to set in motion the recently-launched Attraction Plan for EU Investment in Indonesia, engaging with key investors, industry associations, sectoral ecosystems, development finance institutions, European Commission directorates and other stakeholders with an active interest one or more of the Attraction Plan’s priority sectors or thematic areas, including: renewable energy, advanced electronics, the electric vehicle (EV) value chain, life sciences, transport & logistics and sustainable cities. In each country, the team also met with the leadership teams of the Indonesian Embassies, to discuss how best to mobilise the Attraction Plan and engage with new potential investors, identified by the ARISE+ Indonesia team as part of the Attraction Plan.
The visit began in Amsterdam, where a high-level Trade, Tourism and Investment Forum was held, convening new potential investors well as companies with existing investments in Indonesia and looking to expand their operations. From there, the team moved on to Rotterdam, where a meeting was arranged with a key prospective investor in the maritime logistics sector.
Establishing relations with a prospective investor – a leading Dutch logistics company.
The next stop on the tour was the advanced technology hub of Eindhoven, where the team visited High Tech Campus to meet with the Semiconductor Lead at High Tech NL - the national trade association for the Dutch high-tech industry. The team also visited Brainport Industries Campus, which focuses on the design, development and manufacturing of leading, advanced, precise and intelligent high-tech equipment. While at Brainport, the team met with the Eindhoven International Project Office, which works with national and regional governments around the world (including in Southeast Asia) on triple helix ecosystem development, drawing on the successes and learnings in the growth and development of Brainport Eindhoven.
Brainport Eindhoven is widely regarded as one of the world’s most successful high-tech ecosystems and a magnet for investment. The delegation met with the team that’s taking Brainport’s model and learnings to new potential ecosystem partners around the world.
From the Netherlands, the team moved on to Brussels, Belgium, where a series of constructive meetings were held with key European Commission Directorates – including those responsible for Southeast Asia, Sustainable Finance and Climate Action. While in Brussels, the team also met with the Association of European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI) and a wide selection of its members, as well as corporate members of the Benelux Indonesia Association.
Delegation members share and discuss key investment-related insights and updates with stakeholders in Brussels.
The visit to the third and final country, France, began in the northern powerhouse of Lille, where the delegation was welcomed by the regional Investment Promotion Agency, Nord France Invest, alongside the Regional Chamber of Commerce and World Trade Center Lille. This was a valuable stopping point between Brussels and Paris, as Northern France is playing an increasingly important role in the EV value chain, and is host to ‘Battery Valley’ ecosystem in the nearby city of Dunkerque, which the team also had the pleasure of visiting.
The final stop on the visit was Paris, where the team had meetings with the Agence Française de Development (AFD) as well as the AFD Group’s private sector entity, Proparco. The mission ended with a high-level and well-attended roundtable hosted by the France-Indonesia Business Council at the French Employers Federation (MEDEF). The roundtable convened several corporate members of the federation’s Sustainable Cities Taskforce and included both existing and new potential investors with an interest in Indonesia. The roundtable offered an excellent opportunity to update investors on the latest developments and opportunities offered through the ongoing development of the new capital city (IKN) as well as in existing urban centres around Indonesia.
The Indonesian team present key investment opportunities in the New Capital City (IKN) and other urban centres to a delegation of existing and potential French investors in Paris.
The team returned to Jakarta with a raft of promising new investment leads and partnerships to nurture.
