First Microalgae-Based Biotechnology Industry in Indonesia

The President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo, represented by the Minister of Health Dr. dr. Nila Farid Moeloek Sp.M (K), inaugurated the first microalgae-based biotechnology industry in Indonesia namely PT Evergen Resources (PT ER) at Jl. Laut Kav 8, Mororejo Village, Kaliwungu, Kendal, Central Java, on Thursday, July 25, 2019.

PT ER is a biotechnology-based company that develops microalgae cultivation, with the company’s first product being the antioxidant active ingredient, Astaxanthin, which has been manufactured under AstaLuxe brand. It will be marketed to meet domestic needs and exported to various countries.

The company’s founder and CEO Siswanto Harjanto says that Evergen stands for Forever Generate. Like its namesake, PT ER is an innovative company that is expected to continuously generate new products. Therefore, Haematococcus pluvialis (microalgae strain to produce Astaxanthin) is not the only type of microalgae to be developed. However, there will be various other types of microalgae to be cultivated in the future.

Many challenges are encountered at each stage of microalgae cultivation, starting from the laboratory and trial scales to the commercial scale. In spite of this, the key to success of PT ER is optimism that is generated from the company’s human resources.

Our human resources consist of young people graduating from universities in Indonesia. They come from various educational backgrounds and possess attitudes of being dynamic, critical, adaptive, innovative, productive, responsive to change, persistent and hardworking, which in the end together we have managed to achieve the set targets.

By far, the microalgae-based biotechnology industry has been dominated by foreign companies, such as the United States, Israel, Japan, and several European countries. It has been a turning point for Indonesia to have a microalgae-based biotechnology industry that produces innovative and competitive products. Those are expected to become the nation’s pride products and can be recognized worldwide. PT ER wishes to contribute in the grand plan of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Joko Widodo namely Towards Advanced Indonesia.

For more information about Evergen Resources, please contact [email protected] or visit https://wordpress-652320-2127704.cloudwaysapps.com

###