Indonesia's Vice Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Stella Christie, at the ground-breaking ceremony.
Indonesia has begun construction of an International Tropical Seaweed Research Center (ITSRC) in Ekas Bay, East Lombok, as part of a national strategy to strengthen research capacity and expand value-added development in the seaweed sector.
Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of tropical seaweed, accounting for around 75% of global production. At the groundbreaking ceremony for the facility on 12 February, Vice Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Stella Christie said the international research center was part of the government's strategy on further developing the sector.
“Our major focus over the past few months has been to position Indonesia as the world’s seaweed hub, and that effort must begin now,” Christie said, adding that the aim is for Indonesia to move beyond supplying raw materials to focus on innovation and higher-value seaweed products, highlighting the projected growth in downstream products such as biostimulants, bioplastics and biofuels.
The new centre, at the University of Mataram, is designed to support collaboration between universities, industry and government agencies, with the Indonesian government expecting it to help farmers improve yields and develop better-quality seedlings based on scientific research.
“We are collaborating with the University of California, Berkeley and the Beijing Genomics Institute. Beijing Genomics Institute has committed funding of IDR 3 billion for the first two years, covering research equipment and researchers. In addition, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology has allocated IDR 1.5 billion for the initial phase,” Christie said.
“Without advancing research and downstream development, Indonesia risks losing its share of the vast global economic potential, valued in the trillions of rupiah. This research center is therefore indispensable, a cornerstone for ensuring consistent, large‑scale seaweed production that positions Indonesia as a reliable supplier to the international market,” Christie added.
The center will include laboratories, accommodation for international researchers and supporting infrastructure, including a dedicated research vessel. Researchers at the University of Mataram say Ekas Bay’s sheltered tropical waters make it suitable for studies on climate resilience and biomass development, including work on seaweed species such as Kappaphycus, Caulerpa, Ulva and Halymenia.