Jakarta, 6 December 2023: Indonesia boasts a tech-savvy younger generation, a substantial market size, proven global success, and a government committed to advancing its digital economy. Building upon these strengths, Indonesia aims to rank among the world's top five economies, propelled by the growth of its digital sector. Creating an environment conducive to adopting new technologies is essential, requiring collaboration between policymakers and industries, both domestically and on the global stage. Against this backdrop, the GSMA Indonesia Digital Nation Summit took place on 6 December 2023 in Jakarta. This summit served as a platform to explore Indonesia's digital landscape, engage in critical discussions, and harness the nation's dynamic potential to realise its vision of a Digital Indonesia.

ERIA participated in the summit during the session themed ‘Strategies for Fostering an Inclusive Digital Nation.’ This session, moderated by Jeannette Whyte, Head of Policy APAC at GSMA, featured a panel of speakers including Denny Galant, Head of Indonesia at Android Platforms, Google; Astrid Dita, Senior E-Government Advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change; and Lina Maulidina Sabrina, Senior Programme Officer at ERIA. During the panel discussion, Lina emphasised the importance of incorporating the participation of underrepresented communities such as women, persons with disabilities, and people in rural areas into the digital community.

‘In particular, within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills, leveraging the involvement of women is essential,’ Lina stated. ‘Equipping more women graduates in STEM could inspire their participation not only in the digital community but also in obtaining high-skill technical jobs in the fourth industrial revolution. Allowing more women to participate in the digital ecosystem is crucial,’ she said.

Lina also introduced ERIA's efforts, including the creation of E-DISC (ERIA Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Centre), aimed at fostering an inclusive digital ecosystem at the regional level.

‘Recently, we also launched a new centre, namely E-DISC, serving as a platform for research and engagement to foster collaboration and innovation based in Jakarta,’ explained Lina. ‘Through fostering public-private dialogue, catalysing regional open innovation, nurturing technologically savvy talents, and providing practical policy, we hope to contribute to better digital trade, data governance, and innovation entrepreneurship not only in Indonesia but also on a regional scale.’

The Digital Nation Summit commenced with opening remarks by Julian Gorman, Head of APAC at GSMA, and Dr Ismail, Director General at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.