IGCRN Seeks Collaborative Approaches to Cosmetic Industry Challenges

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Initiation of Global Cosmetic Regulatory Network (IGCRN) forum, hosted by the Indonesian Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM RI), serves as a platform to strengthen global regulatory cooperation while encouraging Indonesia’s cosmetics industry to become more innovative, safe, sustainable, and competitive in the international market.

BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar stated that the forum enables regulators from various countries to exchange experiences, build capacity, and seek collaborative solutions to challenges facing the cosmetics industry.

"Each country has a different cosmetic regulatory framework yet faces similar challenges. These differences present an opportunity to build international cooperation—to learn from one another, share experiences, strengthen capacity, and develop joint solutions," Taruna said in Jakarta on Monday, October 5, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

According to Taruna, strengthening the cosmetics industry also requires collaboration among the government, academia, and business players. Such synergy is essential to ensure that research findings meet industry needs while being developed in compliance with regulatory requirements.

BPOM fosters this collaboration through the "Bridge" platform—Bersinergi dalam Riset Inovatif, Berdaya Saing Global, dan Ekspansi Pasar (Synergy in Innovative Research, Global Competitiveness, and Market Expansion). The platform connects researchers with industry partners to accelerate the commercialization of research findings. To date, 13 cosmetic product research proposals have been submitted through Bridge.

I Ketut Adnyana, Director of Research and Community Service at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek), noted that industry involvement in research is crucial for strengthening the development of the cosmetics sector.

"At this pivotal moment, we invite the industry to participate in research and development within their respective sectors," he said.

President of the Society of Indonesian Cosmetic Scientists (SICS), Sutriyo, emphasized that cosmetic innovation must go hand-in-hand with science and regulation. He noted that scientific evidence is required to support innovation while ensuring that product risks can be effectively managed.

The IGCRN forum is a collaboration between BPOM, SICS, and Cosmobeauté Indonesia, attended by approximately 160 participants representing regulatory bodies, the industry, academia, students, and BPOM itself.

Regulatory delegates included representatives from Laos and South Korea, while international industry participants came from Laos, Europe, and Switzerland.

Through this forum, BPOM aims to foster a global regulatory network capable of strengthening the national cosmetics ecosystem, enhancing the competitiveness of Indonesian products in the global market, and supporting economic growth. ***