Lombok, Indonesia, 6 September 2024 – MGI (MGI Tech Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries, collectively referred to as MGI), a company dedicated to developing core tools and technologies that drive innovation in life sciences, today announced a strategic collaboration with Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) to advance seaweed research at the International Tropical Seaweed Research Center. This partnership exemplifies MGI’s continued support for Indonesia’s marine biodiversity research and resource conservation efforts.
The seaweed economy plays a pivotal role in Indonesia, and preserving and classifying the diversity of seaweed species has become a cornerstone of its future development. Rapidly establishing comprehensive biobanking and sequencing laboratory capabilities across the islands is now critical.
Under the guidance of M. Firman Hidayat from the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs, this collaboration includes joint efforts to establish an iLab and aims to promote the development of seaweed species preservation, digitisation and scientific research.
Prof. Dr. Ocky Karna Radjasa, Chairman of the Research Organization for Earth and Maritime at BRIN, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration with MGI. “Seaweed plays a crucial role in coastal ecosystems and local economies. This partnership not only strengthens our connection to world-leading life science technology but also enhances our ability to develop innovative solutions for sustainable seaweed conservation and utilisation.”
Duncan Yu, President of MGI, shared his vision for promoting local research through this collaboration. “We are proud to offer robust support for this important seaweed initiative in Indonesia. By leveraging our cutting-edge sequencing technologies, we aim to contribute to the conservation and sustainable management of Indonesia’s invaluable seaweed resources, and the joint intelligent laboratories (iLab) will empower a new model of island-based scientific research. This partnership underscores our commitment to supporting Indonesia’s vision for sustainable development.”
This partnership highlights MGI’s unwavering support for Indonesia’s scientific initiatives. In 2022, MGI announced its support for Indonesia’s National Genome Program, providing a complete suite of life science tools to help achieve the goal of sequencing the genomes of 10,000 Indonesians within two years. In 2023, MGI further expanded its support by partnering with BRIN to co-develop platforms and scientific research innovations aimed at enhancing marine biodiversity conservation.
