Indonesia expects jump in creative economy by 2019

JAKARTA. The government plans to boost the creative economy through the development of various techno parks and further involvement in international fairs.

“By 2019, we expect a 12 percent surge in the creative economy’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product,” Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) deputy for infrastructure Hari Santosa Sungkari said Tuesday in a statement.

Other expected contributions of the creative economy include exports of 10 percent and the absorption of workers by 13 percent, he added.

To meet the target, the Industry Ministry has facilitated the development of at least five techno parks in various regions, namely Bandung, Denpasar, Semarang, Makassar and Batam.

(Read also: RI wants to dance with S. Korea in creative biz)

Each techno park will have its own specialty. The one in Bandung, for instance, will focus on application development, while the one in Denpasar is projected to concentrate on the animation sector.

“With the help of such techno parks, startups will be incubated, educated and facilitated to develop their businesses until they can stand on their own and compete with established businesses,” Industry Ministry director for the electronic and telematics industry Achmad Rodjih Almanshoer said.

In May 2015, the government announced a plan to develop 100 national science and technology parks in a bid to encourage innovation and creativity within the community.

Meanwhile, the Industry Ministry has also facilitated 13 local software and content businesses to participate in the 2017 CeBIT telecommunication and information technology show in Hanover, Germany, on March 20-24, in a bid to encourage partnerships with global businesspeople.(Viriya P. Singgih)