TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto said that Indonesia would need as many as 17 million workers in the digital economy sector in 2030. Four percent of the figure, he outlined, would work in the manufacturing sector and the rest in the service industry.

“We have seen several companies having global order seek a new country, and they deem Indonesia as a promising one,” said Airlangga Tuesday, March 12, in an event of Apple Developer Academy Graduation at LOT 9, Green Office Park, BSD City, Tangerang.

According to Airlangga, a total of 30 million Indonesians utilized e-commerce service, and that the market growth is projected to climb from US$8 billion or Rp114.2 trillion to US$20 billion or Rp285.4 trillion in 2022.

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“I have also told Apple to build more campus in Indonesia. They have only three now, in here BSD, Batam, and Surabaya. Indonesia has a huge market so we ask them to build more campus,” the minister said.

Airlangga noted that the presence of an educational institution built by an international company such as Apple would improve the skills and competition of Indonesian digital workers.

“Recently, a tire producer Michelin develops its business in Indonesian through an acquisition. It chooses to produce tires in the country, not in an organic way but acquisition. That is an opportunity to boost this industry,” Airlangga explained.

“Therefore, I hope graduates of Apple Developer Academy can seize the market of the digital economy and develop the market of exports by innovating value-added products,” he said.

MUHAMMAD KURNIANTO