Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency has signed contracts to build two new research vessels, the Ocean Multipurpose Research Vessel and the Coastal Research Vessel, under the KRISNA project, according to BRIN.
The contracts were signed at the BJ Habibie Building in Jakarta on 11 June, marking the start of a programme aimed at expanding Indonesia’s marine research capacity for blue economy planning, fisheries policy and climate monitoring.
BRIN head Arif Satria said less than 19% of Indonesia’s marine area has been mapped, while the fully explored area is much smaller. The maritime sector’s contribution to Indonesia’s gross domestic product was about 7% to 8% in 2025, despite the scale of the country’s waters.
“Indonesia can transform that strategic position into global leadership in the blue economy and maritime governance,” Arif said.
The vessels will operate as mobile scientific laboratories for data collection, technology testing and direct ocean observation.
BRIN said the data will support maritime policy, natural-resource management, environmental protection, coastal infrastructure planning, marine conservation and marine technology development.
The ships will also gather data on marine biodiversity, fisheries potential and marine biotechnology resources. BRIN said they will support biological and ecological monitoring, science-based fish catch quotas and Indonesia’s competitiveness in global tuna trade.
For climate work, the vessels will be used to monitor sea-level rise, carbon flows and biodiversity loss. Arif said a national research fleet would strengthen Indonesia’s ability to obtain strategic marine data without relying on foreign vessels.
The KRISNA project is being carried out with Agence Française de Développement and support from the European Union. EU ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam Denis Chaibi said the partnership reflects a shared view that global challenges require cooperation, science and the use of knowledge for society and sustainability.
BRIN is Indonesia’s national government agency responsible for research, development and innovation across public-sector science and technology programmes.
Agence Française de Développement is France’s public development finance institution, financing international development projects under France’s development policy framework.