"As one of BRIN's units, the BBIL has a special task to innovate and develop new products from Indonesia's vast marine resources," BRIN Head Laksana Tri Handoko stated during the inauguration ceremony for the BBIL Building in North Lombok District, West Nusa Tenggara Province, on Wednesday.
Handoko expressed optimism that the new building, equipped with advanced laboratory and research facilities, would enhance BBIL's work to develop and implement the cultivation of marine resources, particularly to develop high-valued commodities, such as abalone and sea cucumber.
"We hope BBIL, with its competent and advanced human resources, would not only be able to serve as a reference for national research but also for the regional scientific community," he noted.
At the same event, BRIN's Geoscience Research Organisation Head Ocky Karna Radjasa informed that several BBIL research on marine biota cultivation and utilisation are ready to be shared and utilised by the public.
Related news: BRIN to research multistage rockets for sonda tech mastery
Radjasa expressed hope that BBIL would serve as a medium for harnessing technology transfer on marine biota to advance Indonesia's marine and fisheries industries, particularly in West Nusa Tenggara.
Meanwhile, BRIN's BBIL Chairperson, Ratih Pangestuti, said that her organisation's research facility could be used to facilitate cooperation between BBIL and relevant stakeholders in future.
The research facility will allow BRIN to receive inputs from relevant stakeholders, such as the regional government, academics, public institutions, and the general public, to develop BBIL, she noted.
Since its establishment in 1997, BBIL has developed methods to harness marine biota of high economic value, such as bigfin reef squid, gold-mouth turban, and sandfish. Apart from the marine biota harnessing efforts, the research unit is also developing food diversification to create products, such as sea cucumber- and seaweed-based processed products.
Related news: BRIN builds genomics research center for life, environmental science
Translator: Martha HS, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
