BPJPH Accelerates Halal Ecosystem Development with Universities and Industry

Jakarta - The Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) is accelerating efforts to develop the national halal ecosystem with various strategic partners, including universities and industry. BPJPH Head Ahmad Haikal Hasan stated in Jakarta on Friday that strengthening the halal ecosystem requires the support and synergy of all stakeholders, from universities and businesses to related support institutions and the financing sector. “The halal industry is not just a big business; it has become a giant business. Its contribution to the Indonesian economy is very significant. This shows that halal is not merely a religious necessity, but also an important part of the national economic development strategy,” Haikal said. This commitment was marked by the signing of several memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements with Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta, Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University (UIN) Bandung, the Government Investment Centre (PIP), and PT Arga Bangun Bangsa earlier this week. Through the memorandum of understanding with UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta and UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, Haikal said BPJPH will strengthen the implementation of the Higher Education Tri Dharma in supporting the administration of Halal Product Assurance, including through human resource development, research, innovation, education, halal literacy, and community service. Meanwhile, he said the cooperation with the Government Investment Centre (PIP) is a strategic step to expand access to halal certification for micro and small business (UMK) financing recipients. This cooperation serves as the basis for the parties to organise halal certification facilitation programmes to enhance competitiveness, expand market access, and strengthen the business sustainability of UMK players. Furthermore, he said the cooperation with PT Arga Bangun Bangsa is expected to strengthen the JPH ecosystem through AI-based talent management development, improvement of human resource competencies, optimisation of organisational systems and processes, development of a learning management system (LMS), and strengthening of work culture to support bureaucratic reform and improve organisational performance. According to Haikal, the successful development of the halal industry requires strong and sustainable collaboration. “Halal has evolved into an important part of the modern economy. Therefore, strengthening the halal ecosystem must be carried out collectively through synergy between the government, universities, businesses, and all stakeholders,” he said. “Through this multi-party collaboration, BPJPH hopes the strengthening of the national halal ecosystem can be accelerated, to enhance the competitiveness of Indonesian halal products, and to realise the shared vision of making Indonesia the world’s centre for halal product producers,” he added.