Indonesia, Poland sign five mining, EV skills pacts

Indonesia and Poland have signed five cooperation agreements to train Indonesian workers in mining, mineral processing and electric vehicle technology, Warta Ekonomi reports. Universities, industry associations and research institutes from both countries signed the documents in Jakarta on November 4.

The partners aim to do more than transfer equipment and know-how. They want Indonesian staff who can run, maintain and further develop technology suited to domestic industry. Paulus W. Broto, President Director of PT Darma Putera Wahana Pratama (DEWATA), said in an official statement that Indonesia is rich in natural resources, including rare earth elements, but needs the capability to manage them in order to secure the greatest added value. He said raising the capacity of the country's workforce was essential.

A coordinating body called Polishindo Hub will match Indonesian industry and education needs with Polish technology, research networks and companies. It will be run by DEWATA and the Polish Chamber of Exporters and Importers (IGEI). The hub is not a legal entity or a party to the agreements, and each signatory keeps control over decisions on participants, activities, contracts and funding.

Marcin Jabłoński, vice-president of the IGEI management board, said during a presentation that the partnership seeks to tie education to the needs of business and industry. He described the goal as moving from education to business.

The Indonesian signatories are the Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering (FTTM) at ITB, UPN Veteran Yogyakarta, the mining professionals' association PERHAPI, the electric vehicle industry group Periklindo and the Indonesian Nickel Miners Association (APNI). The Polish side includes the KOMAG Institute of Mining Technology, IGEI and DEWATA. The package consists of four memoranda of understanding and one memorandum of agreement with FTTM ITB.

The two universities will explore exchanges and training in metallurgy, mine safety, mechanisation and automation. The plans with UPN include a Poland-Indonesia competence centre for mining and mineral processing. The APNI deal covers responsible nickel mining and processing. The Periklindo agreement covers batteries, charging infrastructure, components, manufacturing and product testing.

One proposal under discussion would send Indonesian instructors to Poland for training so they can design advanced courses at home. The partners have also suggested forming working groups to choose initial activities or pilot projects, with schedules, responsibilities and financing to be agreed for each.