HIMKI facilitates designer collaboration space to boost Indonesia's furniture industry
Jakarta — The Indonesian Furniture and Handicrafts Industry Association (HIMKI) is facilitating a Designer Showcase collaboration space for designers and industry players at the Indonesia International Furniture Expo (IFEX) 2026 to strengthen the competitiveness of the furniture industry in the global market.
HIMKI chairman Abdul Sobur, in a statement in Jakarta on Friday, said that as one of the largest furniture exhibitions in Asia, IFEX not only features thousands of flagship products from around five hundred exhibitors, but also provides a collaboration space that brings together manufacturers, designers, associations, and international buyers directly.
‘The presence of Designer Showcase at IFEX 2026 further reinforces IFEX’s role not only as an exhibition of furniture products but also as a strategic platform that integrates design, industry, and the global market within a single, holistic business ecosystem,’ he said.
He said the collaboration forged with the Indonesian Interior Design Association (HDII), Alliance of Indonesian Industrial Product Designers (ADPII), MadeCon, and Good Design Indonesia demonstrates IFEX’s efforts to drive the industry’s transformation towards a design-driven approach, and to meet the needs of the global market.
On a broader scale, Designer Showcase at IFEX serves as a strategic space for Indonesian business players to showcase material quality, craftsmanship, and design excellence to the international market.
He further stated that in strengthening the design ecosystem, HIMKI also regularly hosts the HIMKI Design Awards, now in its fourth year. In addition, the organisation runs the Youth Designer Awards to boost participation of young Indonesian designers.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) aims to turn Indonesia into a global hub for furniture manufacturing through strengthening sustainable wood downstream processing and increasing the competitiveness of the national industry.
Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said the furniture sector is a model of wood downstream processing, crucial because it is labour-intensive, able to create added value, and provides a multiplier effect for domestic economic growth.
‘This sector also employs hundreds of thousands of workers and is directly connected to the global market worth more than USD 736.21 billion. In the next five years, Indonesia is projected not only to increase production capacity, but also to lead in design and sustainability,’ he said.
He noted that the sector’s performance has even outpaced national economic growth. According to the statistics agency BPS, manufacturing industry growth in 2025 was 5.30%, higher than the national economy growth of 5.11%.
That achievement marks a historic moment as industry growth again surpassed economic growth after 14 years, since 2011.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) notes that the export value of Indonesia’s furniture and handicrafts to the world market reached USD 2.22 billion or IDR 36.07 trillion in January–November 2024.