Taiwan's Chien Fu Shipbuilding Co. will team up with two Indonesian partners to build modern high-tech fishing vessels made of fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) in Indonesia, Antara reported on 20 December, citing Ming-Hsien Tsan, the director of administration and planning for Taiwan’s Department of Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center (SOIC).
The Indonesian partners are PT. Indomina Cipta Agung, based in Semarang, and East Java-based PT. Kelola Mina Laut (KML Food).
"Chien Fu has chosen Surabaya, in East Java, as a location for their business in Indonesia and will start their activities next year," Ming said. His organization, a marine industry development institute in Taiwan, helped set up a meeting between Chien Fu and the two Indonesian partners.
Development of FRP technology vessels is environmentally friendly, can reduce the use of wood, and are less expensive, according to Tsan.
"So FRP (vessels) are far more economical for Indonesian fishermen," he said.
PT. Kelola Mina Laut will send some of its employees to Taiwan over the next year to learn the methods for building a fishing vessel weighing 30 tons to 50 tons, Ming said, adding that the training will help ensure the smooth transfer of the technology. Indonesia has budding potential in the fishing vessel manufacturing, Ming added.
Chien Fu's business expansion to Indonesia is part of Taiwan's New Southbound Policy initiated under Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, with the goal of enhancing cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and 18 countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Australasia, according to Ming. The initiative was launched in September 2016.
Chien Fu Shipbuilding Co. was established in 1942 and is one of the leading companies in Taiwan engaged in the fishing vessel construction business.
Photo courtesy of Chien Fu Shipbuilding Co.
