Nusantara To Host 3rd Borneo Economic Forum Next Year

KUCHING (Oct 9): Nusantara in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, will host the 3rd Borneo Economic Forum next year, continuing efforts to strengthen cross-border economic cooperation and business partnerships across the island.

The announcement was made during the 2nd Borneo Economic Forum 2026 Gala Dinner here on Wednesday night, where Nusantara Capital City Authority head Mochamad Basuki Hadimuljono received the baton from Borneo Economic Community (BEC) co-chair Arsjad Rasjid.

Earlier, Arsjad stressed the importance of stronger cooperation across borders, sectors and communities in unlocking Borneo’s economic potential, particularly in energy, connectivity, digital transformation and integrated industrial development.

“More importantly, we want this economic progress to create greater opportunities and better livelihoods for the people of Borneo,” he said.

Arsjad said the BEC was envisioned as a business-led and inclusive platform bringing together chambers, companies, industry associations, communities and other stakeholders from Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.

He said its objective was to identify and develop viable business opportunities that could translate Borneo’s economic potential into tangible investments, partnerships and employment opportunities.

According to him, discussions at the forum in Kuching had progressed beyond the exchange of ideas, with participants exploring specific projects, identifying potential business focal points and considering implementation timelines.

He added that efforts were also underway to establish a stronger secretariat to facilitate continued dialogue, coordinate initiatives and ensure the momentum generated by the forum would be sustained beyond Kuching.

Meanwhile, the event also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the BEC and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

​The MoU was signed by Arsjad and ERIA Director General of Research and Policy Design Naoto Okura.

The agreement aims to strengthen relations between the two parties, particularly in advancing economic cooperation and connectivity between Borneo and the wider Asean region.

The event also featured a Statement of Cooperation (SoC) signing ceremony to welcome new institutional and corporate members to the BEC, with a total of 17 organisations and companies signing the agreement.

Among the institutional members involved were the Borneo Economic Community, Indonesian Business Council (IBC), BIMP-EAGA Sarawak Association, Sarawak Business Federation (SBF), Sabah Bumiputera Chamber of Commerce (SBCC), Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) West Kalimantan, Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MICCI) Sabah, KADIN South Kalimantan, and ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Indonesia.

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