Indonesia Targets Investment and Technology Transfer via Shipbuilding Partnership with Russia
Indonesia and Russia are strengthening their exploration of shipbuilding industry cooperation through the forum ‘Building an Indonesia–Russia Shipbuilding Partnership: Developing Maritime Industrial Cooperation for Indonesia, Russia and the ASEAN Market’, held at the Indonesia Pavilion, Hall 4, during INNOPROM 2026 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The forum served as a platform for industry players from both nations to explore opportunities for investment, technology transfer, human resource development, and joint production to enhance the competitiveness of Indonesia’s maritime industry and expand access to the ASEAN market.
Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita stated that shipbuilding cooperation with Russia is an opportunity for Indonesia to strengthen its maritime industrial capacity through investment, technology transfer, human resource development, and collaborative production. These efforts are expected to increase the competitiveness of the national shipbuilding industry while broadening access to the ASEAN market. ‘Indonesia views shipbuilding cooperation with Russia as a strategic step to strengthen national maritime industrial capacity,’ he said during the forum.
The forum brought together Indonesian shipbuilding and component industry associations with Russian shipyard companies to discuss business collaboration and technology development opportunities. The discussion was led by the Secretary of the Directorate General of Metal, Machinery, Transportation Equipment, and Electronics at the Ministry of Industry, Feby Setyo Hariyono. The event follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on shipbuilding cooperation between Indonesia and Russia in December 2025, which laid the foundation for collaboration in ship construction, maritime technology, marine engineering, industrial human resource development, and investment.
As an archipelagic nation with over 17,000 islands, Indonesia has a significant need for a shipbuilding industry capable of supporting logistics distribution, inter-island transportation, the fisheries sector, offshore energy activities, and equitable economic development. Meanwhile, Russia possesses extensive experience in the shipbuilding industry, ranging from the design and construction of commercial vessels to propulsion system technology and maritime engineering. These characteristics mean the two countries have complementary potential for cooperation. Collaboration opportunities are also expected to widen following the signing of the Indonesia–Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement, which is anticipated to strengthen trade, investment, industrial partnerships, and technology exchange between Indonesia and EAEU member states.
During the forum, both countries discussed various cooperation opportunities, including the construction of passenger and ferry vessels, logistics ships, fishing vessels, patrol boats, offshore support vessels, the development of the ship component industry, and the improvement of maritime industrial workforce competencies. Director General of Resilience, Territorialisation, and International Industrial Access at the Ministry of Industry, Tri Supondy, said Indonesia and Russia possess complementary strengths in building a more competitive shipbuilding industry. Indonesia offers a large market and growing industrial capacity, while Russia has technological advantages and experience in developing various types of vessels. ‘We hope this forum will result in concrete collaboration among industry players, from technology transfer and human resource development to investment and joint production, which can strengthen the national shipbuilding industry and expand access to the ASEAN market,’ said Tri.
Through this forum, Indonesia affirmed its commitment to strengthening industrial diplomacy in the maritime sector through a mutually beneficial partnership with Russia. The collaboration is expected to yield concrete projects that accelerate the transformation of the national shipbuilding industry, enhance technological mastery, and strengthen Indonesia’s position as a maritime manufacturing hub serving both the domestic and ASEAN regional markets.