Agreement with Indonesia’s Ministry of Health center supports national genomics initiative, alongside discussions on clinical applications, research capacity and local training

On September 26, BGI Group and Indonesia’s Center for Biomedical and Health Genomics (BB Binomika), under the Ministry of Health, signed a memorandum of understanding and accompanying cooperation agreement at the Indonesia Omics Innovation and Application Forum 2026 in Jakarta, strengthening collaboration in support of the country’s Biomedical and Genome Science Initiative (BGSi).

Building on BGSi as an important framework, the two sides will continue to deepen research collaboration, platform development and local capacity building, and jointly advance the integration and application of genomic technologies in Indonesia’s precision medicine and public health systems.

BGI Group and Indonesia’s Center for Biomedical and Health Genomics (BB Binomika) signed a memorandum of understanding and accompanying cooperation agreement strengthening collaboration in support of the country’s Biomedical and Genome Science Initiative.

Co-hosted by BGI Group and NGI, BGI Genomics’ joint venture in Indonesia, the Jakarta forum brought together health officials, clinicians, researchers and industry partners. Topics ranged from reproductive health and rare diseases to cancer, infectious diseases, aging and preventive health. Discussions focused on how genomics, multi-omics, and artificial intelligence can address Indonesia’s clinical and research needs.

Group photo of all participants at Indonesia Omics Innovation and Application Forum 2026.

In his opening remarks, Jeremy Sujie Cao, General Manager of Asia-Pacific at BGI Genomics, welcomed participants and outlined BGI’s development, research experience and integrated approach to research, education and industry collaboration.

Indri Rooslamiati, Director of the Center for Biomedical and Health Genomics, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, delivered a keynote on the country’s digital health transformation and priorities for BGSi. She reviewed the national genomics program’s development and future plans, including opportunities to integrate genomics into precision medicine.

Jeremy Sujie Cao delivers an opening remark (up), and Indri Rooslamiati presents a keynote speech.

Bringing Genomics into Reproductive Health and Rare Disease Care

Clinical sessions featured specialists from Indonesia’s maternal-fetal medicine community, national maternal and child health center, and national referral hospitals.

Professor M. Alamsyah Aziz, Chairman of the Indonesian Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (HKFM) and a maternal-fetal medicine specialist affiliated with Dr. Hasan Sadikin Central General Hospital and Universitas Padjadjaran, discussed the clinical use of multi-omics in reproductive and maternal-fetal health. His presentation compared different testing and screening approaches and explored how genetic testing could be integrated into local precision care pathways.

Professor M. Alamsyah Aziz presents a keynote speech at the reproductive health session.

Dr. Ruth Nadya of RSAB Harapan Kita, the national maternal and child health center under Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, focused on thalassemia prevention and management. She outlined a continuum of approaches ranging from population screening and precision care to emerging research in gene therapy.

Dr. Ludi Dhyani Rahmartani, a pediatric hematology-oncology specialist at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National Central General Hospital (RSCM), discussed how comprehensive genomic sequencing can support the diagnosis of rare and complex diseases from a hematology-oncology perspective.

Dr. Ruth Nadya (up) and Dr. Ludi Dhyani Rahmartani speak at the genetic disorders and pediatric blood diseases session.

Also from RSCM, pediatric neurologist Dr. Achmad Rafli explored the journey from undiagnosed symptoms to a confirmed diagnosis, highlighting how whole-exome sequencing (WES) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) can inform the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of pediatric neurological conditions.

Together, these presentations illustrated how genomic testing is increasingly being integrated into clinical pathways across maternal-fetal medicine, child health, hematology and neurology to help identify underlying causes of disease and support more informed clinical decision-making.

Dr. Achmad Rafli presents at the clinical genomics session.

Connecting Cancer and Infectious Disease Testing with Clinical Interpretation

Dr. Samuel J. Haryono, a surgical oncologist at MRCCC Siloam Hospitals Semanggi, part of Siloam Hospitals Group, joined other industry experts to discuss recent developments in multi-cancer precision medicine. Drawing on clinical practice and the application of genomic technologies, they explored the role and potential pathways of genomics in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Samuel J. Haryono delivers a keynote speech.

Dr. Chao Fang of BGI-Research introduced a language-model framework designed to support clinical pathogen identification and interpretation of test results. His presentation explored how specialized model training could improve the efficiency and accuracy of pathogen identification and help clinicians interpret complex sequencing data.

Exploring Aging and Preventive Health

Dr. Yan Li of BGI-Research presented multi-omics analyses of aging and aging-related traits. Drawing on research into longevity, biological age and complex diseases, she highlighted how multi-layer molecular data can deepen our understanding of aging and health.

Dr. Lagniton Philip Naderev Panuringan, an AI algorithm engineer working on BGI Genomics’ 133111i smart health management program, presented “133111i / Life Index and Preventive Health Pathways.” His talk explored how multi-omics data and AI analysis could be combined to support health management and prevention.

Together, the two presentations connected fundamental research on aging with data-driven approaches to proactive health management.

Expanding Clinical and Research Capabilities

BGI Genomics Product Manager Yangruiyu Liu highlighted the clinical value of WES and WGS in rare diseases. Drawing on examples from complex fetal cases and newborn screening, he illustrated how comprehensive genomic sequencing is expanding across reproductive health, rare disease diagnosis and early-life screening.

Dr. Yanhong Wang, Director of R&D Support at BGI Tech Solutions, outlined BGI`s capabilities in genomics, single-cell and spatial omics, proteomics and metabolomics. She illustrated how integrated multi-omics approaches can support studies of disease mechanisms and population cohorts, offering Indonesian research and clinical teams options for addressing questions across multiple biological layers.

Building Long-Term Local Partnerships

The Jakarta forum brought together regional clinical, research and industry partners through partnership signings, thematic presentations and in-depth discussions, further strengthening cross-sector collaboration and connecting multi-omics technologies with local needs in Indonesia.

Looking ahead, BGI and NGI will continue to promote academic exchange and technical collaboration in Indonesia, build local experience across research platforms, talent development and clinical applications, and explore high-quality, sustainable pathways for omics services.