Abdullah, owner of "Mr Dura's Kitchen" which sells over 300 meals daily and employs 18 people, packs freshly cooked meals to deliver to construction sites in the Morowali Industrial Park, Indonesia. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), a landmark project of cooperation between China and Indonesia under the Belt and Road Initiative framework, has emerged as a vital platform for driving regional economic growth, benefiting over 7,000 surrounding businesses.
Since its inception in 2013, IMIP — located in Central Sulawesi — has harnessed the region's abundant nickel reserves and built a modern industrial system spanning metallurgy, new energy, and advanced manufacturing, attracting an investment of some $35 billion from enterprises in China, Australia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
With its expanding influence, the park is playing a key role in upgrading the local industrial structure and has generated broad spillover effects, supporting the growth of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and invigorating the local community economy.
As a model of industrial cooperation between China and Indonesia, IMIP has built a modern industrial system that spans metallurgy, new energy, and advanced manufacturing.
In the early morning streets of Bahodopi, Central Sulawesi, 53-year-old Abdullah packs freshly cooked meals to deliver to construction sites in the IMIP. His kitchen business, "Mr Dura's Kitchen," now sells over 300 meals daily and employs 18 people. "The park has brought people and opportunities. We plan to hire more staff," he said.
Abdullah moved to Bahodopi five years ago from South Sulawesi, seizing the opportunity presented by the influx of people driven by the park's development. His story exemplifies the broader ripple effect of IMIP's economic engine.
BRI-backed Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park has built a modern industrial system, invigorating the local community economy in Central Sulawesi. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
According to official data, by March 2025, Bahodopi was home to 7,643 MSMEs — up 62.7 percent over five years — creating more than 16,700 jobs. Businesses in food services, retail, logistics, telecommunications, and repairs have flourished, forming a vital extension of the industrial value chain around the park.
According to Dedy, head of media relations at IMIP, the park adheres to a principle of "industry-community integration." By expanding the industrial chain and supporting local businesses, IMIP has effectively unleashed agglomeration dividends and strengthened local resilience. "MSMEs have become a key driver of regional employment and community development," he said.
Since 2021, the IMIP administration has monitored enterprise development trends. From 2021 to 2024, the number of businesses in Bahodopi rose from 4,697 to 7,584, with an average annual growth of over 13 percent. Nearly 1,000 new enterprises were established in 2023 alone, underscoring the region's robust momentum.
It has been learned that while IMIP anchors high-end manufacturing sectors such as nickel-iron and nickel-lithium, it has also redefined the regional economy through infrastructure improvements and service development. Streets are now lined with shops, food vendors, and buzzing delivery drivers, painting a vivid picture of a thriving, people-centered local economy.
"I plan to stay here and grow my business even bigger," Abdullah said, smiling under the morning sun.
It has been learned that the experience of IMIP is showcasing to the world a new development path — one that revitalizes communities through industrial clustering and advances shared prosperity through high-quality growth.
