President: Indonesia’s Downstreaming Is on the Right Track

President Prabowo Subianto said Indonesia’s first electric vehicle (EV) battery export from the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP) in Central Halmahera, North Maluku, was tangible proof that the country’s downstreaming strategy was succeeding. Amid doubts about the national economy’s future, Prabowo said the achievement showed that Indonesia was no longer merely a supplier of raw materials, but was emerging as a major player in high-value global industrial supply chains.

The first EV battery export on Thursday (8 October 2026) marked a new milestone in Indonesia’s industrialisation. Prabowo said it was not simply an achievement for an industrial estate, but the result of a broader strategy to change how Indonesia makes use of its natural resources.

“Today’s first export of electric vehicle batteries is an important step. This is tangible proof that our downstreaming strategy is right, and we will continue it as well as we can,” Prabowo said in his speech.

The statement reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continuing downstreaming policies aimed at increasing the domestic value added of natural resources. Indonesia has long been known as one of the world’s largest mineral producers, including of nickel, a key component of EV batteries. The government is now seeking to ensure these resources are not exported in raw form, but processed into high-value industrial products.

During the visit, the President not only witnessed the first EV battery export, but also inaugurated 11 downstreaming projects at IWIP: four industrial projects that have entered the commercial stage and seven new projects beginning construction.

The launch of the projects showed that North Maluku’s downstreaming-based industrial estate was continuing to develop into one of Indonesia’s new centres of economic growth. In an area previously better known for mining commodities, an industrial ecosystem is taking shape, directly connected to global market demand—particularly the fast-growing EV industry.

Prabowo said investment at IWIP was on a very positive trajectory. According to a report from the Minister of Investment and Downstreaming, investment in the estate had reached around US$20 billion, with a further US$7 billion planned for ongoing development.

The scale of investment is reflected not only in the construction of industrial facilities, but also in direct job creation. IWIP has so far employed more than 100,000 people.

The President said this figure showed that industrialisation could bring tangible benefits to the public and foster optimism about the country’s economic future.

Prabowo also directly addressed pessimistic views that had questioned Indonesia’s prospects.

“Those who say Indonesia is dark, that it will collapse—every month they predict that we will collapse. But today I have come here and seen that Indonesia’s future is bright,” he said.

The remarks signalled that the government sees downstreaming as a key instrument for strengthening national economic resilience amid global uncertainty. By developing processing industries at home, Indonesia is believed to have greater opportunities to generate sustainable growth and improve its competitiveness.

Addressing industry players and investors, Prabowo also said the government would continue to maintain a sound investment climate and provide certainty for business partners investing in Indonesia.

He said investor confidence was a strategic asset that must be protected. The government was therefore committed to building mutually beneficial partnerships based on mutual respect.

“It is a matter of honour for the Indonesian nation to look after our partners. We regard our partners as our brothers and sisters,” he said.

But as industrialisation accelerates, Prabowo warned that economic success must not come at the expense of the environment. He called on all companies operating in the industrial estate to protect air and water quality and manage waste responsibly.

The message underscored that future industrial development must be consistent with sustainability principles. Economic growth, the President said, must go hand in hand with environmental protection so that development’s benefits can be felt over the long term.

Prabowo also urged all parties to view the success of downstreaming as part of the nation’s long journey of development. He said today’s progress had not emerged suddenly, but was the result of policy continuity and initiatives begun by previous leaders.

“We respect previous governments and the leaders before me who had the courage to take development steps such as these,” he said.

For Prabowo, nation-building is a long process requiring courage, consistency and patience. The first EV battery export should therefore be seen as an important stage in Indonesia’s journey towards becoming an advanced industrial nation.

“Nation-building is a long march; it is a struggle and a long journey. This is part of that long journey,” the President said.

At the end of his speech, Prabowo warned that the closer a nation comes to its great goals, the greater the challenges it will face. He said Indonesia must not be daunted by those obstacles.

The first EV battery export from Central Halmahera marks more than the arrival of a new product for global markets. It is also a symbol of Indonesia’s economic transformation from a raw-material exporter into a higher-value industrial hub gaining international recognition. With investment continuing to flow, tens of thousands of jobs being created and the EV industry developing, the government is optimistic that downstreaming will provide a strong foundation for a more self-reliant, resilient and globally competitive Indonesian economy.