Astragraphia Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru City Packaging Household MSME Training to Support Creative Industries

Banjarmasin, 25 June 2024 - Astragraphia and Rumah Packaging Banjarbaru City held training entitled "Digital Printing Revolution for the Development of the Creative Industry". This event was the opening of a series of open house activities held by Astragraphia Banjarmasin Branch. The first day of the event was held on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at the Banjarbaru City Packaging House Office inviting all MSME Services.

This training aims to equip employees from the MSME Service with the latest knowledge and skills in digital printing technology so that they can improve the quality and production efficiency of the entire MSME community under the auspices of the Banjarbaru City Packaging House. In this training session, participants were given an in-depth insight into digital printing technology and how this innovation can be applied in various aspects of the creative industry, such as packaging, stickers, and label design.

The training event was opened by Mr Muhammad Harifandi as Branch Manager of PT Astra Graphia Tbk Banjarmasin Branch. He said that "Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia are one of the most developed sectors and are expected to become the main driver of the national economy. MSMEs play a huge role in creating jobs, increasing people's income, and encouraging national economic growth. Therefore, it is important for Astragraphia to continue to support the development and empowerment of MSMEs. After the Covid pandemic, many MSMEs experienced difficulties. Therefore, various efforts need to be made to help MSMEs to develop again and move up in class. Research from the South Kalimantan Cooperatives and MSMEs Service shows that MSMEs in this region have started to switch to online sales. "This positive signal from the government and the shift from offline to online sales has made MSMEs compete to market their products with appropriate, unique and attractive packaging as added value and differentiator."

This initiative is a concrete form of Astragraphia's commitment to increasing the capacity and quality of MSMEs in Indonesia, especially in facing the era of digitalization which is increasingly developing rapidly. Astragraphia contributes by providing education for Graphic Art players to take opportunities to increase printing volumes and open new markets in creative packaging needed by MSMEs. One of the efforts that Astragraphia can make is by providing training and assistance to MSMEs so they can produce quality prints using the latest printing technology.

The essence of this training event is a design consultation session in the form of presentation of interesting material presented by Indana Ulfah Sitompul as Graphic Designer and Business Development PT Astra Graphia Tbk specifically for the UMKM Home Packaging Service. Through this session, MSME players can consult directly regarding creative packaging designs and get valuable input to increase the attractiveness of their products. This consultation covers various aspects, from how to create sticker and label designs to other promotional needs. At the end of the event, all participants were given training participation certificates from Astragraphia. Not only that, Astragraphia Banjarmasin Branch will continue to hold open house sessions at the Banjarmasin branch office located on Jl. Gatot Subroto No.4, Pengambangan, Kec. East Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan 70237. In this open house, participants were able to see the printing technology firsthand, we displayed several multifunction printer machines and production scale printer machines from FUJIFILM.

The hope is that this training event will not only provide educational benefits for the participants, but also open opportunities for wider networking and collaboration. With the synergy between Astragraphia and the Home Packaging MSME Service, it is hoped that the creative industry in Banjarmasin can continue to develop and make a positive contribution to local economic growth. The participation of Astragraphia Banjarmasin Branch in holding this training is a manifestation of corporate social responsibility in the entrepreneurship pillar. This is in line with the company culture of Valuable to The Nation and Life and supports the national development program Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8 concerning Decent Work and Economic Growth. By providing access to the latest technology and knowledge, Astragraphia hopes to help MSMEs in Banjarmasin to be more competitive and innovative.