Jogja Digital Valley recorded that Yogyakarta has as many as 190 startup digital companies with a growth of 30 companies annually. They can compete at the international level, thus making Yogyakarta as one of first three cities to host the National Movement in 1000 Startup Digital that collaborates with UGM as partner through Innovative Academy programme.
The National Movement in 1000 Startup Digital is initiated by Ministry of Communication and Informatics and KIBAR, a company that aims at developing technology ecosystem in Indonesia through initiatives in capacity building, mentoring, and incubation. The movement aims at achieving Indonesia’s potential to be The Digital Energy of Asia in 2020 by presenting 1000 startup companies as a solution to various problems through digital technology.
“Indonesia should not be the market place only, we have 250 millionsof population, or 40% of ASEAN population are in Indonesia. Don’t let others be the player in our country, it’s us who should come forward as the player,” said Minister for Communication and Informatics, Rudiantara, in the Ignition programme of the Movement on Saturday (13/8) in Grha Sabha Pramana UGM.
Digital economy, Rudiantara said, is a potential domain that has to be developed continuously now that global community cannot be separated from IT.
“Almost everything now runs on IT. So we have to make ourselves compatible, making Indonesia competitive internationally,” he said.
In Yogyakarta itself, the 1000 Startup Digital movement has been present in the Innovative Academy, an incubation programme beginning in 2014 at Universitas Gadjah Mada. As an official partner of the movement, Innovative Academy became the official programme for the movement for Yogyakarta city that starts with Ignition or seminars to instill the entrepreneurial spirit, workshop, hackathon, bootcamp, and incubation.
“I praised UGM which is the oldest university also has the spirit of nationalism as well as social enterpreneurship vision. It can be said that the initial root of this movement starts from UGM,” said CEO of Kibar, Yansen Kamto.
The collaboration is welcomed by UGM Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Alumni, Dr. Paripurna Suganda, S.H., M.Hum., LL.M., who acknowledged the importance of creativity and entrepreneurial spirit among students.
“UGM is a talent pool as our students are of above average potential. But we also need entrepreneurship to develop Indonesia. The unique nature of Innovative Academy is to not only prepare entrepreneurs who amass money but also HR with nationalism spirit,” he said.