Bio Farma Receives Official Visit from the Governor of Victoria to Strengthen Strategic Cooperation in Health and Biotechnology

^{President Director of Bio Farma, Shadiq Akasya (5th from the right), along with Bio Farma’s board of directors and commissioners, welcomed the Governor of Victoria, Her Excellency Professor the Honorable Margaret Gardner AC (4th from the right), and the Victoria Government delegation during their visit to Bio Farma’s headquarters (28/11).}

Bandung, 28 November 2025 — PT Bio Farma (Persero) received the official visit of the Governor of the State of Victoria, Australia, Margaret Gardner, accompanied by the Victorian Government delegation, at its Headquarters in Bandung. The visit formed part of Governor Gardner’s working agenda in West Java, aimed at strengthening subnational cooperation between Victoria and West Java and deepening the Melbourne–Bandung Sister City partnership.

Victoria and Bio Farma have maintained a long and productive relationship for several decades, particularly in scientific research, technological innovation, and human resource capacity-building. This shared history of collaboration forms a strong foundation for expanding future partnerships.

Bio Farma’s Director of Human Capital, Iin Susanti, expressed appreciation for the Victorian delegation’s visit and reaffirmed the company’s readiness to pursue a new chapter of bilateral cooperation.

“Today’s visit is an integral step toward reinforcing collaboration under the Melbourne–Bandung Sister City framework and enhancing regional cooperation between Victoria and Bio Farma. We fully support this initiative and are proud to contribute to strengthening this meaningful partnership,” she said.

She also highlighted the importance of historical ties and mutual trust in exploring future opportunities.

“Bio Farma and Victoria share a long-standing history of partnership grounded in shared values and mutual commitment to advancing health and life sciences. Our collaboration with CSL spans decades; indeed, the bacterial strains used in some of our early vaccine production originated from CSL. This legacy reflects the deep trust underpinning our relationship,” she added.

The Governor of Victoria Her Excellency Prof The Honorable Margaret Gardner AC expressed the Victorian Government’s enthusiasm for expanding strategic partnerships with Bio Farma, particularly in biotechnology, health, and innovation.

“We are very eager to pursue deeper and more strategic collaboration. The early partnership between Bio Farma and CSL remains an important anchor. CSL is headquartered in Melbourne, and I believe there is a significant opportunity for both organizations to explore the possibilities that flow from the rapid advancement in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors,” she stated.

Governor Gardner further outlined three priority pathways for future collaboration.

“In short, we see three key avenues: first, revisiting the early relationship with CSL; second, strengthening and expanding existing research collaborations in Indonesia; and third, inviting Bio Farma to Melbourne to explore our innovation ecosystem—from established biotechnology companies to emerging SMEs that may offer promising opportunities for joint initiatives,” she added.

The visit is expected to strengthen further the historic ties between Victoria and Bandung, which have developed over many decades. Beyond reinforcing subnational cooperation, this partnership holds the potential to deliver tangible benefits for the health sector in both regions through innovation exchange, technology transfer, and expanded opportunities for industry collaboration.