Sukanto Tanoto is known as the resource king of Asia and for very good reason. The Founder and Chairman of Royal Golden Eagle (RGE), has built an empire worth over USD20 billion in assets over a span of 50 years, in natural resource-based manufacturing such as palm oil and pulp & paper.
RGE’s growth catapulted Tanoto as a major global player, and RGE has grown rapidly from a local scale company to a world-class corporation. Sukanto Tanoto has always been determined to help the development and progress of the nation, and he does so by focusing on the sustainability of RGE, and maintaining its success and continuity.
This is to ensure that RGE’s existence is beneficial for the country, which is line with Tanoto’s 5C philosophy that he has always advocated – the creation of shared value for the Community, Country, Climate, Customers, and Company.
Sukanto Tanoto has done many things to help the growth of the nation, mainly in his support for the development of the forestry industry, which he has been a part of since he first founded RGE in 1967. He believes that every contribution to the forestry industry must always be encouraged, which leads him to make numerous efforts to develop the local forestry industry.
In accordance with these endeavours, Sukanto Tanoto established the Tanoto Forestry Information Centre (TFIC), in partnership with Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), also known as the Bogor Agricultural University. Tanoto’s initiative to support the development of forestry science in Indonesia was launched on the 21st of December 2015.
This collaborative project with IPB acts as a knowledge incubator with resources for research and seminars in the field of forestry management and science. The TFIC connects the university globally with other universities and research institutions, and collaborates on its research and development.
The vision that Tanoto had in mind for the TFIC is that it be able to be a means of developing forestry science for the advancement of its industry, as he believes that the role of forestry sector and industry is significant for the economy in Indonesia.
TFIC is where one is able to develop their knowledge for the application in the forestry sector, and is the pathway for the birth of scientists, researchers, and forestry practitioners who can succeed and excel at an international level.
The TFIC is equipped with various facilities, including access to IPB’s library collections, scientific journals, and information regarding forestry in panel and video format. It’s positioned as a hub for networking and collaboration, where knowledge and technology are shared to support the forestry sector.
TFIC is also seen as an incubation hub for ideas and understanding through research, seminars and discussions. These factors have assuredly played a part in fulfilling Sukanto Tanoto’s vision of TFIC becoming a centre of excellence for forestry information and environmental sciences.