Indonesia is hoping to secure new investment deals from participating in the annual German industrial technology fair Hannover Messe on Apr. 20-24.

As the official partner country of the fair for 2020 – the first Asean country to be selected as one – Indonesia will bring its “Making Indonesia 4.0” campaign to the event.

Showcasing 173 companies from several industries, including automotive, textile and petrochemical, the government aims to attract more foreign investors, mainly from Germany and other European countries.

“Through this event, Germany and other European countries will see that Indonesia has made significant improvements, especially in our manufacturing industry. With the current global situation, industrialists will look for desirable places to invest in, and hopefully they will look to Indonesia,” Amir Sambodo from the Industry Ministry said in Jakarta on Thursday.

Amir said the digital industry could open a new door for foreign investors to enter the country. According to Amir, in the component industry alone – an important part of the digital sector – the investment potential could reach up to $400 million.

“Digital investment could get us up to $300-$400 million, and that’s just for the component industry. But we want even more. The electrical industry is another option. Indonesia has been using many German technologies in this area, such as those provided by Siemens,” Amir said.

“About Indonesia Luring Investment”

Representatives from Hannover Messe and several German companies, including ABB, Siemens and Hartings, along with German journalists, visited the Industry Ministry on Thursday as part of their pre-fair Indonesian tour.

Hannover Messe spokesperson Brigitte Mahnken said being the official partner country Indonesia will get good exposure and opportunities to secure new investments from all over the world.

Based on data from the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Germany is ranked only 13th in Indonesia’s foreign investors list. Mahnken hopes Indonesia’s participation in the event would make it more attractive as an investment target.

“There are not many German investors [in Indonesia]. That’s a reason for Indonesia to get more connected to present itself to the world. Hannover Messe is an international trade fair attended by companies from Germany and from all over the world. More than 2,500 journalists also attend the event. That’s why it’s the perfect place for Indonesia to promote the ‘Making Indonesia 4.0’ campaign,” Mahnken said.

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