Apple Academy Officially Operates in Jakarta, Minister of Industry: Efforts to Strengthen the Digital Innovation Ecosystem

Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita. (Photo: Ministry of Industry)

JAKARTA - The government continues to strengthen the foundation of the domestic technology industry amid the onslaught of imported goods.

One of the strategic steps taken is through the Domestic Component Level (TKDN) policy.

The TKDN policy was rolled out to encourage the transformation of the mobile phone and tablet computer industries to be more based on local production and innovation.

The Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) noted that in addition to reducing the dominance of imported products, consistent implementation of TKDN also accelerates the development of the research and development (R&D) ecosystem, especially in the software sector.

This effort is realized through partnerships with global industry players, including Apple, in the development of national digital talent.

As part of the collaboration, on Wednesday, April 21, the fifth Apple Developer Academy and Apple Developer Institute were opened at The Autograph Tower, Jakarta.

The facility is present through cooperation with Ciputra University and Binus, with the aim of expanding access to technology education and strengthening the digital innovation ecosystem in the country.

Minister of Industry (Menperin) Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said that the presence of this facility is part of an effort to expand access to the development of digital talent and strengthen the national innovation ecosystem.

"The opening of this facility is part of the commitment that has been agreed upon between the Indonesian Government, especially the Ministry of Industry, and Apple," said Agus as quoted from a written statement, Wednesday, April 22.

"The government assesses that the company continues to maintain its commitment by realizing various points of cooperation gradually according to the substance of the memorandum of understanding that has been agreed upon," he continued.

The government appreciates Apple's consistency in realizing various agreements that have been prepared together.

"This is a positive signal that Apple has a strong commitment to the Indonesian market," he said.

In parallel, Apple is also expanding the Apple Developer Institute network to five locations in Indonesia.

The expansion is aimed at strengthening the digital ecosystem and the iOS app economy through the development of skills in strategic areas.

The programs offered include artificial intelligence, machine learning, developer operations, game development to entrepreneurship.

The development locations are spread across Surabaya, Tangerang, Batam and Jakarta, with a total of nearly 200 participants who have attended this special learning program.

"All Apple academies and institutes in Indonesia are targeted to be able to support almost 1,000 students every year starting in 2026," said Agus.

Meanwhile, Apple's Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations Susan Prescott said that her party was committed to continuing to invest in Indonesia in the development of local talent in the future.

"Indonesia has a dynamic and creative developer community, so we are committed to continuing to invest in the development of local talent through education and innovation," he explained.