Yogyakarta. Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Nezar Patria, believes that developing an AI Center of Excellence at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) — along with in other universities — will play a crucial role in strengthening the country’s digital economic growth.
He made these remarks while witnessing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between Telkom Indonesia and UGM at UGM’s Innovation and Creativity Arena (GIK) in Sleman, Yogyakarta.
Nezar underscored the urgency of this initiative, noting that by 2030, Southeast Asia’s digital economy could reach USD 1 trillion — and Indonesia could contribute up to 40 percent of that growth. He emphasized that as the most populous nation in Southeast Asia, Indonesia holds a pivotal position in harnessing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
He also projected that Indonesia might contribute USD 366 billion by 2030 to the region’s digital economic expansion. To avoid falling behind in the regional race, Nezar highlighted the need to speed up national adoption of AI.
To support this vision, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi), together with industry and academic stakeholders, is ramping up efforts to establish AI Centers of Excellence. These centers are meant to bolster research, innovation, and the development of digital talent in higher education institutions.
Nezar explained that the AI Center of Excellence aims to become a hub for AI education, research, and innovation, generating practical, AI-based solutions to tackle real-world challenges. He also hopes models like the Telkom–UGM collaboration can be replicated at other universities — further expanding Indonesia’s national AI ecosystem.
From the industry’s side, Faizal Rochmad Djoemadi, Director of Digital IT at PT Telkom Indonesia, expressed confidence that working with UGM will merge the university’s strong research capabilities with the industry’s innovation needs. He acknowledged that Telkom alone cannot drive innovation end-to-end, especially since foundational research often requires long timelines and substantial investment — areas where universities excel.
For his part, UGM Rector Prof. Ova Emilia said that the AI Center of Excellence will serve as a “link-and-match” hub, aligning the interests of academia and industry. This, she added, will accelerate the commercialization of AI research and benefit both students and businesses alike.
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