Kuala lumpur: The Indonesian Business Council (IBC) and the Southeast Asia Futures Initiative Centre (SEAFIC) have entered into a partnership by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening research collaboration and policy dialogue in Southeast Asia.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the collaboration seeks to enhance Indonesia's competitive advantage, deepen regional integration, and align business needs with actionable and measurable policy directions. Both IBC and SEAFIC have committed to conducting regular consultations, developing joint research, and formulating policy recommendations on strategic issues of mutual interest. The focus areas will include enhancing regional economic resilience, improving cross-border connectivity, and addressing issues impacting trade flows and investment decisions.
SEAFIC founder and chairman Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz emphasized the partnership's role in bridging analysis with business needs to foster integration and economic resilience in the region. He noted the necessity for focused, evidence-based cooperation that transcends mere discourse.
IBC chair of the board of trustees Arsjad Rasjid highlighted the need for ASEAN to act in a coordinated manner amidst rising trade risks and supply chain fragmentation. He emphasized that the cooperation is designed to facilitate grounded policy dialogue that can meet business community needs and strengthen the regional economy.
IBC chief executive officer Sofyan Djalil expressed that the collaboration aims to boost competitiveness through quality decision-making and clear direction. He stated that competitiveness stems from consistent policies that translate into tangible projects, and with SEAFIC, IBC seeks to expand its knowledge base and network to advance Indonesia's competitiveness agenda.
The MoU signing took place during SEAFIC's soft launch, which included a high-level policy dialogue with regional leaders discussing the theme 'ASEAN's Golden Decade: Turning Geopolitical Overload into Geoeconomic Opportunity'. SEAFIC is being established as a regional think tank to further research, policy dialogue, and strategic studies on Southeast Asia's economic, technological, and governance transitions.