March 17 - Antwerp Port Authority chairman Marc Van Peel has signed two framework agreements with IPC Corporate University - a subsidiary of the Indonesian Port Corporation - which will see the port provide training and consultancy services for Indonesian
Under the terms of the framework agreement, the Port of Antwerp's maritime training centre - APEC - will now conduct seminars on the IPC Corporate University campus in Jakarta.
In future another port authority subsidiary, Port of Antwerp International (PAI), will also be more active in Indonesia, carrying out consultancy work for the Indonesian port authorities together with IPC Corporate University.
The Indonesian government has ambitious plans for major infrastructure projects in the near future in order to give a massive boost to the country's economy, said the Belgian port, with plans to construct dozens of ports to serve the country's many islands.
In a recent report, Frost & Sullivan predicted the Indonesian logistics industry to grow at 14.4 percent in 2020.
The research and consultancy provider suggested that economic growth would be driven by high domestic consumption, growth in export of manufactured products, and improvement in infrastructure investment coupled with regional trade integration.
Frost & Sullivan's global vice president of transport and logistics practice, Gopal R, said that Indonesia currently has limited logistics infrastructure, average productivity at ports, and above average carrying costs.
However, he added, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is unlocking a number of untapped opportunities for logistics service providers through business expansion in the region.
Moreover, government spending in public infrastructure is expected to reach around 15 percent of GDP; while the manufacturing industry is forecast to grow around 6.4 percent in 2016.
Gopal R added that potential industries for logistics service providers to focus on in 2016 included infrastructure, manufacturing, automotive and electronics.
