VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia should develop a space exploration-based economic sector in the future, head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Laksana Tri Handoko has said.

"The future of Indonesia's economy, one of which, must be based on space activity. Geographically, Indonesia is an archipelagic country, which lies over the Equator and not many satellites can cover it (the space area over the Equator)," he noted in a statement received on Thursday.

Hence, BRIN is striving to develop an Internet of things, optical, and radar-based remote sensing satellite system so that Indonesia will be able to have sustainable updated data on satellite imagery.

"Related to Indonesia's future economy, remote sensing data can be used as an enabler, a catalyst, and a lever for providing a multiplier effect (on the economy)," he remarked.

BRIN has also prepared supporting infrastructure for remote sensing data utilization, such as a data center and big data management through High-Performance Computing (HPC).

Furthermore, the head of BRIN said he expects that the agency will establish partnerships with other parties to operate BRIN’s five ground stations to bolster the space ecosystem in Indonesia.

He also urged business actors, especially start-ups, to develop remote sensing imagery applications to meet the needs of certain target markets, such as the oil palm plantation and fishery sector, which used the imagery to monitor the growth of oil palm trees and to help fisherman to locate fish, respectively.

"Thus, the (satellite) imagery will not only become (geographic) data, but can actually be a concrete and significant (driving factor to have a) multiplier effect on the economy," he added.

Currently, the government is accelerating the construction of Biak Numfor Spaceport in Biak Numfor district, Papua province.

Earlier, Handoko said that the construction of the spaceport is aimed at bolstering Indonesia's sovereignty and capabilities in the science and technology sector in the midst of global geopolitical turmoil.

"Biak Numfor is our main choice (as a location to build the spaceport), considering the condition of existing (supporting) infrastructure and the potential for collaboration with the local economy (actors)," he added. (antaranews)