Blood product company SK plasma has secured investment from Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund and is pushing to build a local plant to help the Southeast Asian country become self-sufficient in blood products.

SK plasma said Thursday that it signed an agreement with the Indonesian Investment Authority (INA) to operate its joint venture PT SKPLASMA CORE INDONESIA (SK plasma Core). Through the agreement, INA will become the second largest shareholder of SK plasma Core, marking the first time a Korean company has secured investment from INA, the company added.

SK plasma is building a 49,000-square-meter blood products plant in Indonesia's Karawang International Industrial City, with plans to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2026. The plant will process 600,000 liters of plasma annually to produce essential blood products, including albumin and immunoglobulin.

SK plasma noted that this would reduce Indonesia's dependence on imported blood products and ensure a stable supply of medicines.

Blood products are crucial for treating various diseases, such as excessive bleeding, immunodeficiency, and hemophilia. They are essential medicines for national disaster situations. SK plasma will supply blood products to Indonesia as a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) until the plant is completed. The Korean company will also train local personnel to stabilize production quickly after operations commence.

“The blood products factory will reduce Indonesia's dependence on imports of essential medicines and strengthen healthcare capacity through technology transfer and knowledge sharing,” INA CEO Ridha Wirakusumah said.

SK plasma CEO Kim Seung-joo said, “This agreement is important for healthcare cooperation between Indonesia and Korea. Based on SK Plasma’s blood product manufacturing capabilities, we will continue to work with countries needing self-sufficiency in essential medicines to contribute to improving global healthcare infrastructure.”

The signing ceremony was also attended by SK chemicals CEO Ahn Jae-hyun, SK plasma Core Indonesia CEO Roh Hyun-ho, Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Vice Minister of Investment and Downstream Industry Todotua Pasaribu, as well as representatives from the Central Committee of the Red Cross and the Korean Embassy in Indonesia.