Bridging local, German ventures<\/p>\n
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Banten<\/p>\n
Jochen Sautter is a key figure in the establishment of industrial
\nand trade relations between German small and medium enterprises
\nand their Indonesian counterparts.
\n Sautter, 36, accepted his somewhat difficult assignment as
\npresident director of the German Center Indonesia. The center was
\nset up by the German government's development bank, the L-Bank,
\nwhich is based in Beden Wuttenberg, Germany, Sautter.<\/p>\n
Since the inauguration of the center in February 1998, some
\n100 German companies -- thanks to Sautter's hard work -- have
\ninvested in Indonesia, in various fields such as: automotive,
\nconsulting services, courses and training, electronics,
\ninformation technology, trade and industry totaling some US$532
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
\"The German Center is a project intended to span the next 100
\nyears and my job in Indonesia is to ensure that it is able to
\nserve as a place where one-stop services and other facilities
\nwill be made available to German companies seeking access and
\nbusiness opportunities in Indonesia,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said the rapid increase in the number of German businesses
\nin Indonesia during the past five years is closely linked with IT
\nbusiness, and is a unique network known as the Media Center at
\nthe German Center, which is located in Bumi Serpong Damai housing
\ncomplex in Serpong, Tangerang.<\/p>\n
The Media Center -- which is Sautter's brainchild -- is a
\ncontrol center for a computerized system of ATM machines now
\nfound in almost every bank in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Since the inauguration of the German Center Indonesia, which
\nwas attended by president B.J. Habibie, in February 1998, Sautter
\nhas been attending to the needs of German businessmen wishing to
\ninvest and run businesses in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
His job description includes persuading, providing information
\nabout business opportunities and legislation, licensing
\nprocessing, arranging meeting points and providing accommodation.<\/p>\n
The recent security disturbances such as bomb explosions,
\nwhich scare off not only potential investors and tourists, have
\nmade his job even more difficult.<\/p>\n
\"It has been a Herculian task to persuade more German
\ncompanies to invest and do business in Indonesia,\" said Sautter,
\nwho was appointed president director of the German Center at the
\nage of 30.<\/p>\n
The German Center Indonesia is the seventh of its kind in the
\nworld. Other such centers are found in Moscow, Yokohama, Mexico
\nCity, Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing.<\/p>\n
Sautter was born in Reutlingen, some 50 km south of Stuttgart,
\nwhere he lived until he finished secondary school. He then
\nattended the University of Manheim, a top university for business
\nadministration in Europe.<\/p>\n
He studied marketing, management and psychology. While still
\nat university, he set up a student consulting company, which he
\nabandoned after securing a job at the Eureka Bank in San
\nFrancisco, the United States.<\/p>\n
After working for the Eureka Bank for a year, he returned to
\nGermany to work in real estate with the government's development
\nbank before being offered the job at the German Center.<\/p>\n
He also initiated the establishment of Swiss-German University
\nin Serpong so that a synergy between education and industry will
\nbe integrated under the German Center.<\/p>\n
Sautter has made up his mind to settle in Indonesia. He spends
\nhis spare time studying bahasa Indonesia, which he speaks quite
\nfluently.<\/p>\n
He married an Indonesian woman, Lucia, 37, in July last year
\nand they are expecting a child. Lucia is pursuing her marketing
\nstudies in California.<\/p>\n
Sautter is also very interested in conservation. His concern
\nabout the dwindling orangutan population in Kalimantan has
\nprompted him to team up with PT Interkemas FlexiPack for fund-
\nraising.<\/p>\n
They collect funds by way of selling orangutan figurines made
\nby artist Dimas Yulianto. These figurines are on display in
\nvarious sizes in the lobby of the four-story German Center.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bridging-local-german-ventures-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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