RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Industry, through the Directorate General of Small, Medium, and Miscellaneous Industries (IKMA), is collaborating with the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports to develop the national sports industry. The partnership was formalized with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on April 30, 2026, in Jakarta.

Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said the national sports industry holds immense potential as an economic driver and must be integrated into a broader strategy to strengthen the national industry.

“Over the past five years, the national sports equipment industry has recorded a trade surplus, with exports in 2025 growing by five percent,” Minister Agus said in Jakarta on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Local products have successfully penetrated major markets such as the United States and Japan. However, Minister Agus noted that domestic penetration remains a challenge. “Although export achievements are commendable, local products have not fully become the primary choice in the domestic market, including for national sports activities,” he said.

Director General of IKMA Reni Yanita explained that the agreement serves as a policy instrument to strengthen demand and supply linkages in the national sports industry, particularly in educational and community sports.

The collaboration includes technical assistance, equipment facilitation for creative industry stakeholders, and promotional support to expand market access for national sports products.

Improving product quality through international standardization is a top priority. “Through this approach, we are not only strengthening the industry from a production perspective but also systematically building a market for domestic products,” Reni said.

Policies favoring local products will be reinforced by increasing the use of goods certified under the Domestic Component Level (TKDN) standard. The use of national products in international sports events will also be actively promoted.

Director of Miscellaneous Industries Reny Meilany added that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have strong production capacity. “Sustained collaboration is needed to ensure alignment between industrial capacity and market demand, and consistent policies to optimize the use of local products as the primary choice in the domestic market,” said Reny. (Gusti Panji/Lasti Martina)