Hello Smart citizens,

Since 2019, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government together with the Berlin Senate have dreamed of creating a space for collaboration in solving urban problems and developing the economy. This dream was finally realized with the Collaborative Declaration initiated by Jakarta Smart City with the National Movement for 1,000 Digital Startups and HUB.ID at the Jakarta Box Tower. This declaration is one of the concrete forms and the spearhead of the Smart Change program funded by the European Union. The existence of this hub is expected to be a liaison for collaboration between elements of society, known as the Jakarta Future City Hub. What is the Jakarta Future City Hub like and what are the expectations? Come on, take a look!

Problems as Learning

Jakarta as a big city has various problems, from the environment to population. This declaration aims to introduce the Jakarta Future City Hub as a program. Therefore, this declaration was followed by a panel discussion on the development of the digital ecosystem and its implementation. This discussion was attended by Yudhistira Nugraha from Jakarta Smart City, Sonny Sudaryana from the Coordinator of the National 1000 Start Up Digital Movement, Luat Sihombing from the Directorate General of Aptika Kemkominfo representing HUB.ID, and Andry Surya Wijaya as Co-Founder of Soul Parking. This discussion discussed the achievements, hopes, and challenges faced by startups, as well as the potential for collaboration with related parties.

Jakarta Future City Hub is located on the 23rd floor of the Jakarta Box (JB) Tower, Central Jakarta. Head of Jakarta Smart City (JSC), Yudhistira Nugraha, explained, “Jakarta Future City Hub will be a collaboration space between problem owners and problem solvers. In this case, it is hoped that the government will act as a collaborator and the community as a co-creator. The hope is that after Jakarta is no longer the capital city, it will become the headquarters for start-ups.”

The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government believes that good city development cannot be done alone. Jakarta City Hub will be a meeting point between startups, founders, and innovators in creating urban innovation.

Building from the Ground

In building an ecosystem, an environment that can accommodate it is needed, as well as the digital ecosystem. A basic foundation in the form of training and guidance is required so that the startup that is built can develop and be sustainable so that it becomes established. This is what the 1000 Startup Movement has done since 2017 with 10 implementation areas, until now it has developed into 20 implementation areas which gave birth to hundreds of startups.

In preparing the startup, this movement has various programs to make the startup more ready, from Networking, Workshops, and Business Matching. The 1,000 Startup Movement aims to open up digital technology-based entrepreneurial opportunities throughout the archipelago. That way, it can encourage the realization of a digital startup ecosystem.

The coordinator of the 1,000 Startup Movement, Sonny Sudaryana, hopes, “This Jakarta Future City Hub can be a place for young people to learn and create equal opportunities in their work.”

In 2030, Indonesia will receive a demographic bonus. With a more productive age population than a non-productive age population, this nation must be able to take advantage of it. Sonny said the big goal is to be able to give birth to the next entrepreneur who will bring changes in the economy and the digital ecosystem so that they can take advantage of the demographic bonus that will occur.

Right People in the Right Place

One of the biggest obstacles for start-ups to develop is capital or funding. Therefore, a program is needed to connect startups with the right business partners, one of the programs is HUB.ID.

HUB.ID is one of the programs of the Ministry of Communication and Information with a focus on enabling local startups to develop on a regional scale, by utilizing a wide network of corporate and government partners.

Through matchmaking programs to business mentoring, now five startups have received funds from investors of around 17.5 million USD or around 266 billion Rupiah to help their development. One of the fostered startups participating in this program is Soul Parking. This startup focuses on the problem of illegal parking which causes congestion in Jakarta. By using technology, Soul Parking provides a solution, in the form of a Compact Motorcycle Storage system by utilizing a limited but feasible area (50 m2), so that it can be used as a parking lot to accommodate 240 motorcycles.

The hope is that the government’s role and support for startups will be increasingly intertwined, as a solution to the need for parking spaces and help the development of the Jakarta ecosystem into a smart city.

Unlimited Collaboration

Broadly speaking, private companies, startups, and governments have various problems and solutions. Problems and solutions sometimes cannot be found alone, so collaboration is needed to create innovations.

Smart Change through the Jakarta Future City Hub is here for that, by providing a space for collaboration and innovation that is more than a co-working space. Because Jakarta Future City Hub involves various experts from the government related to urban planning relations, urban development, and so on. Thus, the innovations designed are not only based on perception, but also on solid data.

In addition, the Jakarta Future City Hub opens up many opportunities in terms of economics and knowledge because it is a meeting of experts from Jakarta — Berlin. This makes communication and innovation provided by these international experts easier.

With this hub, a cross-sector collaboration between the central or local government and startups, corporations, universities, and others can be built to the fullest, so that they can find the right solution for cities and create a better digital ecosystem.

So, what do you think about Smartcitizen after knowing the results of the panel discussion? Fun and interesting right? Come on, continue to support the development of Jakarta Future City Hub, and stay tuned for the latest news!