HIMKI targets development of West Java handicraft export strength
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Furniture and Craft Industry Association (HIMKI) is targeting the Priangan region of West Java as a production centre and new export strength for the craft industry through strengthening competitiveness, improving product quality, and expanding access to global markets.
HIMKI Chairman Abdul Sobur said the region has great potential to be developed as an export-oriented craft industry base.
According to him in a statement confirmed from Jakarta on Tuesday, this potential is supported by rich materials, production talent, and handmade skills that have developed over generations.
According to him, developing this region as an export centre for the craft industry is not enough if it only relies on production capability. The region needs to be strengthened through building product identity, meeting quality standards, ensuring supply certainty, and improving professionalism to meet the needs of the international market.
He explained that craft products from this region have the opportunity to be developed more broadly, not only based on bamboo and mendong, but also including wood products.
Abdul Sobur emphasised that material diversity is an opportunity for the regional craft industry to enter the global market. However, product quality remains the main factor in order to compete in the world-class market.
To strengthen the region’s position in the national craft industry export chain, HIMKI is encouraging local businesses to increase their business capacity from mere subcontractors to companies with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Original Design Manufacturer (ODM), and even building their own brands.
As an initial step, HIMKI is encouraging the mapping of 30–50 potential companies in the region, which will then be curated to around 20 prospective exporters with the best readiness.
Selected companies are encouraged to strengthen a number of aspects, from design, finishing, quality control (QC), costing, packaging, on-time delivery (OTD), to digital catalogues.
Once production readiness is established, HIMKI will match industry players with buyers specifically based on product categories.
HIMKI is targeting the first orders or export reactivation to emerge within six to 12 months, and within 12–36 months, it is expected to develop with repeat orders and diversification of export destination countries.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) is targeting Indonesia to become a global furniture manufacturing production hub through strengthening sustainable wood downstreaming and improving national industry competitiveness.
The furniture and craft sector is also considered to have an important role in labour absorption and connectivity with the global market, whose value reaches more than 736.21 billion US dollars.