Makassar, Finland explore infrastructure and education collaborations

Makassar, South Sulawesi (ANTARA) - The Mayor of Makassar, Munafri Arifuddin, and Finnish Ambassador to Indonesia Pekka Kaihilahti met on Wednesday to explore potential collaborations in smart infrastructure and education.During the meeting held at the Makassar City Hall, Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Wednesday, Arifuddin emphasized that the city government is open to collaboration, particularly for applicable technological solutions that have a direct impact on the community.

However, he noted that the implementation of large-scale projects at the regional level in Indonesia is subject to central government regulations. Nevertheless, he asserted that the door remains open for smaller-scale collaborations.

He suggested that initial cooperation could focus on simpler projects, such as water management initiatives.

Specifically, he highlighted opportunities to address the urgent need for electricity in the city’s island territories, as some islands currently only have access to electricity for about six hours per day.

Furthermore, he underscored the importance of collaboration in the education sector, including the development of the education system through joint pilot projects with Finland.

As part of the collaboration, he also encouraged exchanges of experiences and teacher capacity-building.

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"We can collaborate on the education system, such as a pilot project for schools in Makassar. We can build this together," the mayor said.

Lastly, he invited the ambassador to attend the Indonesia Gastrodiplomacy Series (IGS) Diplomatic Tour 2026 to be held in Makassar this June.

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Meanwhile, Ambassador Kaihilahti explained that Finland has a cooperation framework that offers both smart technology support and financing, involving Finnish corporate ecosystems across various sectors.

He noted that Finland is looking for opportunities to collaborate with local governments or even local companies on smart infrastructure projects.