COSMAX said on the 28th that it will join as an industry representative in a new cosmetics-specialized bachelor's program established by the Faculty of Pharmacy at Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD) in West Java, Indonesia.
The new program covers the full scope of research and development, from basic research on skin and hair to cosmetic formulation development and evaluations of safety and efficacy. COSMAX plans to link university education with industry sites and cooperate to raise the research and development capabilities of the local cosmetics industry.
COSMAX will also participate as an industry partner in the "ABG (Academia-Business-Government)" program, a government-academia-industry collaboration launched alongside the department's establishment. The program aims to transfer university research outcomes to corporations and connect them to real products and businesses.
They will also expand joint research using local natural resources. COSMAX Indonesia and Padjadjaran University will pursue the development of antioxidant ingredients using "tempoyak," an Indonesian traditional food made by fermenting durian. They also plan joint research on whitening and functional cosmetic ingredients using angkak fermentation technology.
They will support building a "Teaching Factory" educational production facility on the Padjadjaran University campus so students can consolidate their research results into actual manufacturing processes. COSMAX will also run a year-round internship program to hire and train outstanding students as local R&D personnel.
Indonesia is set to mandate halal certification for products including cosmetics in Oct., and as the local National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) strengthens related regulations, demand is growing for professional personnel who understand raw materials, formulations, and quality and safety.
Jung Min-kyung, head of COSMAX Indonesia, said, "We will continue to expand local industry-academia cooperation and advance our technological capabilities so that Indonesia's abundant natural resources can be reborn as high value-added ingredients recognized in the global market," adding, "COSMAX Indonesia will establish itself as the best partner that presents a new standard for the local cosmetics industry and nurtures future talent."