Kemdiktisaintek and Japan Explore Cooperation on Electronic Waste Recycling
Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) is exploring opportunities to work with Japan on developing technologies to recycle electronic waste and used batteries, as well as bioethanol as an alternative energy source.
Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto said Indonesia needed to respond to challenges in the energy sector. This required technological support and the involvement of industry partners so that research findings could be developed into solutions suited to national needs.
“We must think quickly. Indonesia is exploring cooperation with various countries to develop our industries,” Minister Brian said in a statement in Jakarta on Thursday.
He said that developing these technologies would require the involvement of universities, researchers, the government and businesses. Universities could support research and technology testing, while industry partners could assess production requirements and the potential for practical application.
Kikuo Kishimoto, executive director of the Technology and Innovation Strategy Center (TSC) at Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), said research into recovering materials from batteries was still at an early stage.
He said Japan was open to developing technologies that could support Indonesia’s needs.
The discussions covered opportunities to develop technologies for recycling electronic waste and used batteries. These technologies could recover valuable materials from waste for reuse as industrial raw materials.
The talks also covered processing plastic waste through upcycling, which turns used materials into products with higher utility value. One example discussed was converting used plastic bottles into materials that could be reused in industrial processes.
In addition to waste processing, the parties discussed opportunities to develop bioethanol as an alternative energy source. The talks highlighted the need for competitively priced technology and a reliable market to ensure that production could be used by industry.
Kemdiktisaintek is encouraging the exploratory discussions to be followed up by mapping research needs, suitable technologies and potential industry partners. The aim is for international collaboration to create opportunities to develop technologies relevant to Indonesia’s needs and support the strengthening of domestic industry.