This news post is adapted from this original article, published by BRIN Public Relations office on 4 May 2025.
On 30th April 2025, the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) at Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU Singapore) and The National Research and Innovation Agency (Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, BRIN) through the Earth and Maritime Research Organisation (Organisasi Riset Kebumian dan Maritim, ORKM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further scientific cooperation in the fields of earth and maritime research.
This MoU marks the continuation of a strategic cooperation between the two institutions, which has been ongoing for more than 17 years. This includes joint research, as well as support for geological monitoring equipment in disaster-prone areas of Indonesia.
During a discussion with the BRIN ORKM team, the Director of the EOS Centre for Geohazard Observations (EOS CGO) Mr Leong Choong Yew expressed his team’s readiness to support research activities via the maintenance and operation of monitoring stations. This includes stations such as the Sumatran GPS Array (SuGAr), a network of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) that observes seismically active areas which have the potential to cause large earthquakes.
“These stations collect important tectonic data which form the basis for joint research between BRIN and EOS. We hope that this collaboration can produce knowledge that promotes safer and more sustainable societies,” said Mr Leong.
The Head of the Geological Disaster Research Center (PRKG) BRIN, Dr Adrin Tohari, said that the ongoing collaboration with EOS has contributed to monitoring of the deformation of the Earth’s crust on the small islands off the coast of Western Sumatra using low-cost GNSS technology. In the future, this project will be further expanded to also include monitoring of volcanoes, tsunami potential, and active land movements.
"We hope that in the near future we can sign a Research Collaboration Agreement, especially with EOS CGO. This is an important legal basis for expanding the research objectives that we will carry out in the coming years,” said Dr Adrin Tohari.
The Head of BRIN ORKM, Prof Ocky Karna Radjasa, emphasised the importance of sustaining and expanding the cooperation between the two institutions. He said, “EOS has made significant contributions, especially in providing real-time disaster monitoring tools.”
"With this Memorandum of Understanding, it is hoped that a solid framework will be formed for long-term scientific research collaboration, especially in understanding the dynamics of the earth's crust, mitigating the risks of disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and atmospheric dynamics in the Indonesian region and its surroundings," he added.