From February 24 to 25, 2011, AIST President Tamotsu Nomakuchi visited Jakarta, Indonesia, and with Chairman Marzan Aziz Iskandar of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), he signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BPPT. He also gave a lecture at a seminar cosponsored by Japan External Trade Organization and the Economics Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia where Japanese company affiliates gathered.

BPPT is the largest public research institution in Indonesia under the Indonesian Ministry of Research and Technology Organizational structure and research fields of BPPT are very similar to those of AIST. Having concluded the MOU, the possible collaborative research fields extend over plant biotechnology, nano-bio-technology and medical technology in the fields of life sciences, and production, reformation and standardization of biomass fuels, in addition to environment assessment, life cycle assessment and gasification in the fields of environment and energy, and survey of marine active faults in the field of earth sciences.

In addition, under the MOU with BPPT, an agreement was reached on launching a tripartite collaborative research related to natural rubber with Bridgestone Corporation of Japan. Indonesia is the world's leading producer of natural rubber. Through the collaborative research with the world's leading rubber and tire manufacturing company, Indonesia will engage in the productivity improvement of natural rubber based on biotechnology such as genetic information. It is expected to contribute to the natural rubber industry in Indonesia.

President Nomakuchi introduced a summary of AIST's history and its research fields at the seminar, and spoke on the future of enterprises expressed as "The enterprise is Being-in-the-World", transition of business competition from labor-intensive to knowledge-intensive, and the meaning of the existence of Japanese enterprises abroad supporting the Asian economy. He also spoke of the various collaborations such as raising the level of Asian researchers through human resource development, and collaboration for standardization.

By the conclusion of MOU, we are expecting that it will lead to the building of the foundation for economic growth of the two countries through the strengthened collaboration of public research institutions in science and technology.