On May 18, 2026, seven members of a SATREPS (Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development) project in Indonesia visited JIRCAS. During their visit, they paid a courtesy call on JIRCAS Vice-President YANAGIHARA Seiji and engaged in discussions aimed at further strengthening future collaboration.

This project is part of the SATREPS program jointly implemented by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Led by Kobe University and Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the international collaborative research project aims to “Development of Integrated Bio-circular Economy from Food and Energy Estate Waste Fraction to Biofuel and Bio-chemicals.” In addition to universities and research institutions such as the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the University of Lampung, private-sector companies are also participating. JIRCAS is also involved in this project and is promoting the development of wastewater treatment technologies using algae, in collaboration with local research institutions.

The visiting delegation consisted of key members of the project’s research groups from BRIN, ITB, and the University of Lampung, with whom JIRCAS researchers have been conducting ongoing collaborative research.

In addition, the visitors were given an overview of JIRCAS’s algae research and the Tropical Island Resilience Project, including a tour of the algae culture laboratory. They also visited the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), where they toured facilities dedicated to microalgae research.

This visit is expected to further deepen research cooperation and strengthen collaborative ties in the future.