Jakarta: The administration of Batam, Indonesia, met on Monday with a delegation of French companies interested in investing in a shipyard on the island.

The delegation included representatives from the French Embassy in Jakarta; the French Trade Commission (UBIFRANCE) and representatives from the French Embassy in Singapore.

Following the visit, UBIFRANCE stated it wanted to further study the island’s shipyard industry map before entering the market, a member of the Batam administration told press.

Direct investment in the free trade zone of Batam saw an increase to $155.5m in the first quarter of this year, compared to $29.5m in the same period last year, according to Batam administration data. [15/10/14]