From September 14 to 18, 2026, AHK Indonesia (EKONID) and the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) organized a mining delegation to Indonesia. The programme took the delegation to Jakarta and East Kalimantan, where participants met with Indonesian mining companies and technical institutions and visited mining operations. Discussions covered technology requirements, automation, digitalisation, mineral processing and cooperation with German technology providers.
The programme started on Monday, September 14, with a country briefing at AHK Indonesia in Jakarta. Dr. Monika Erath, Executive Director of AHK Indonesia, and Mr. Stephan Oehme, Consultant at VDMA, welcomed the delegation. Mrs. Anja Nitschke-Hoffmann and Mr. Jonas Präfke from the German Embassy as well as Mr. Oliver Döhne, Director of GTAI Indonesia, contributed to the briefing on German-Indonesian political and economic relations. Mr. Stephan Blocks, Head of Business Development at AHK Indonesia, contributed to the country briefing and provided an overview of the delegation programme.
The first company visit took place at PT Vale Indonesia. The discussion covered technology requirements in nickel mining, including current open-pit operations and the requirements that may arise from deeper deposits in the future. Operational efficiency, automation and digitalisation were among the main topics, together with possible cooperation with German technology providers.
At PT Freeport Indonesia, the delegation discussed experience from large-scale underground mining, particularly block caving. The meeting also covered technology requirements, supplier qualifications and possible cooperation models. The programme then continued at MIND ID, where the exchange focused on critical raw materials, mineral processing, efficiency, automation, sustainability and localisation.
The first day ended with a networking dinner in Jakarta attended by representatives of Indonesian companies, the German Embassy, GTAI Indonesia and AHK Indonesia.
On Tuesday, September 15, the delegation visited PT Alamtri Resources Indonesia. The company is active in metallurgical coal through PT Alamtri Minerals Indonesia and also has activities in mining services and renewable energy. Its projects include an aluminium smelter in North Kalimantan as part of Indonesia’s mineral downstreaming activities.
The next meeting was held with PT Hengjaya Mineralindo / Nickel Industries. Its Indonesian operations include the Hengjaya Mine and downstream nickel processing assets. Nickel Industries is a producer of nickel pig iron and is also expanding into the electric vehicle battery supply chain.
The Jakarta part of the programme concluded with a visit to PT J Resources Asia Pasifik Tbk, a listed gold mining company with operations in Indonesia and Malaysia. The company operates open-pit gold mines, while underground mining is being evaluated for its Malaysian site.
Later that day, the delegation travelled from Jakarta to Balikpapan and continued to Samarinda for the second part of the programme in East Kalimantan.
On Wednesday, September 16, participants visited PT Multi Harapan Utama (MHU) in Kutai Kartanegara. MHU operates an open-cast coal mine southwest of Samarinda and has established infrastructure for coal extraction and logistics. After a safety briefing, the delegation toured the mining site before returning to the MHU office for technical discussions and a Q&A session.
The programme continued Thursday with a visit to PT Singlurus Pratama. The company operates open-cast coal mines in East Kalimantan, primarily in the Samboja area, with infrastructure for extraction, hauling and logistics. The visit included technical discussions with the company and a tour of the mining site.
On Friday, September 18, the delegation visited Politeknik Negeri Samarinda (POLNES). The state polytechnic offers technical programmes closely linked to the mining sector, including mechanical and electrical engineering, heavy-duty equipment and maintenance, and industrial automation. Its graduates work with mining companies and machinery suppliers in the region. The programme at POLNES included discussions with the delegation and a tour of the laboratories.
The visit gave the participating companies a closer look at mining operations and technology requirements in Indonesia, from nickel and gold mining in Jakarta-based company meetings to coal mining operations in East Kalimantan. The discussions covered different parts of the sector, including extraction, mineral processing, automation, digitalisation and technical workforce development.
AHK Indonesia would like to thank VDMA, the participating companies and all Indonesian partners and institutions for their contribution to the delegation programme.