Nusa Dua, Bali (ANTARA) - Indonesia's National Center for Sustainable Transportation Technology (NCSTT), in collaboration with two associations from Singapore and Thailand, opened Southeast Asia’s first battery technology and electric vehicle (EV)
conference in Nusa Dua, Bali on Tuesday.
The ASEAN Battery and Electric Vehicle Technology Conference (ABEVTC) is co-organized by Indonesia's NCSTT, the Singapore Battery Consortium, and Thailand Energy Storage Technology Association (TESTA), and supported by Hioki E.E. Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer of test and measuring instrument.
"We are very excited to collaborate with ASEAN institutions in developing and promoting the battery ecosystem," the director of NCSTT, Leonardo Gunawan, said here on Tuesday.
The conference is the first step toward a more integrated and sustainable transportation system in the ASEAN region, including in Indonesia, he added.
According to him, the collaboration aims to advance battery technology in electric vehicles, including in terms of safety, standards, and circular economy research to build a competitive transportation industry with strong national support.
"We hope this will contribute to the success and growth of the energy storage industry in the region," he added.
The conference, which will be held until May 11, 2023, will seek to create new opportunities, innovative ideas, and promote the exchange of knowledge among professionals, academics, and policymakers from ASEAN countries, Gunawan informed.
He said that the forum also aims to strengthen good relations among industry players to build an ASEAN community for future collaboration, particularly in EV battery technology.
Bali has been chosen to host the ASEAN-level conference as the region has become one of the provinces that are prioritizing environmental issues, including the use of electric vehicles, in the country.
"In Bali, there is a real policy to support the use of electric vehicles. The province has also started to invite the industry to contribute to the development of electric vehicles," he disclosed.
Head of the Bali Provincial Transportation Service, Samsi Gunarta, also came to support the event on Tuesday.
"Bali has declared itself to be one of the provinces in Indonesia that wants to contribute to the use of electric vehicles. We are also pursuing a zero-emission program by 2045," Gunarta said.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between six leading associations in the ASEAN region will also be inked at the conference.
The six associations are Singapore Battery Consortium (SBC), Indonesia's National Center for Sustainable Transportation Technology (NCSTT), Thailand Energy Storage Technology Association (TESTA), Indonesia's National Battery Research Institute (NBRI), NanoMalaysia Berhad, and Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP).
Gunawan said the MoU aims to open opportunities for research and development collaboration in the field of EV batteries and promote the battery ecosystem in ASEAN.
NCSTT is a multidisciplinary research center at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) devoted to conducting, supporting, and encouraging applied engineering and technology for transportation system.
It is designated as the host for the national center of excellence for transportation by the Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education.
