Opportunities for Strengthening the Indonesian Seaweed Penta-Helix Through Collaboration

Seaweeds are increasingly seen as commodities that can support sustainable development, including many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Already the second-largest seaweed producer globally, Indonesia has great opportunities for expanding and enhancing the value of seaweed production in terms of quantity, quality and diversification. Furthermore, the potential for added value through downstream product development is immense, for example, in the food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and health care, animal feed, fertiliser, energy and other industries. Recognising the potential of seaweeds to contribute to national and global goals, the Indonesian government has set an ambitious target to become the top global producer of processed seaweed products, with a Road Map set out in Presidential Decree 33/2019. The government also realised the need for a collaborative approach to develop and realise this potential. The innovative Penta-Helix model involves government, academia/research, industry, community and media as the five key stakeholder groups who need to work together to achieve this national goal. Hasanuddin University (UNHAS) is committed to embracing the penta-helix approach through collaboration. Innovations from the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Development and Utilization of Seaweed at Hasanuddin University (CEDUS-UNHAS), a multidisciplinary CoE with many partners across the Penta-Helix, and a wide range of other research and development initiatives under other UNHAS units and partnerships, are leading to advances in seaweed-related fields.