The French government has officially partnered with Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Innovation and Creativity Hub (GIK UGM) as one of the strategic partners in a major initiative titled France–Indonesia Innovation 2026. The partnership aims to deepen cross-sector collaboration between Indonesia and France through an inclusive innovation approach.
Held at the French Residence in Jakarta, the initiative was officially launched by the Ambassador of France to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN, Fabien Penone, together with the Vice Minister for Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, Professor Stella Christie, last Tuesday (Dec. 16, 2025).
The bilateral cooperation involving GIK UGM encompasses 21 strategic topics to be implemented throughout 2026, including talent development, the creative economy, innovation, creation, arts, and culture.
Ambassador Fabien Penone emphasized that France–Indonesia Innovation 2026 is designed to restructure and deepen the strategic partnership between Indonesia and France, which has existed for 75 years.
“France–Indonesia Innovation 2026 aims to reorganize and deepen France–Indonesia cooperation in the fields of science and technology while strengthening bilateral collaboration in the cultural and creative industries,” he stated.
Meanwhile, in its implementation, GIK UGM, as a center for innovation and creativity, will play a central role through a series of strategic agendas.
These programs include collaborating on Jakal Design Week 2026 in August, organizing the Global Edu Fair 2026, and developing a Talent Development Class (TDC) integrated with various French companies operating in Indonesia.
The Director of GIK UGM, Dr. Alfatika Aunuriella Dini, who was also selected to participate in the Future Leaders Invitation Program (PIPA) 2026, expressed her commitment to leveraging this momentum to expand GIK UGM’s global network.
“Going forward, we are targeting the launch of joint collaborative programs, the development of curation models, creative-tech-based residencies, and the strengthening of student innovation and entrepreneurship networks as a cross-country collaborative ecosystem,” Dr. Dini concluded.
Author: Aldi Firmansyah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna
Photographs: GIK UGM