Agricultural change in South Sulawesi

In the district of Maros, next to Makassar – South Sulawesi’s capital and on the route of a new rail line – young people are quitting the village and heading to nearby cities.  It is now a familiar trend in developing economies. More youths are turning away from traditional farming roles. Even parents share a…

Indonesia Blueprint set to provide education bonanza

Education has been identified as a focal point in the Australian government’s Blueprint for Trade and Investment in Indonesia. The Blueprint aims to help Australian companies grow commercial links and develop new opportunities following the start of the Indonesia – Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA). According to the education chapter authors, the pandemic has…

Five ways to turn Bali into a ‘Zoom island’ for global remote workers

The Indonesian government recently announced plans to send 8,000 Jakarta-based civil servants to work remotely in Bali to help the tourism-dependent economy rebound from the pandemic.  If the government succeeds in fully vaccinating Bali residents, the idea makes a certain amount of sense.  Hotels and restaurants are struggling to survive. According to Statistics Indonesia, hotel occupancy rates averaged…

Electric dreams: Indonesia’s ambitious battery electric vehicle plans

Indonesia’s transportation sector consumes about half of the country’s energy. Motorcycles uses a significant part of it with numbers increasing by 41% from 104,118,969 units to 146,858,760 between 2013 and 2018. But the government wants to change this energy pattern. And it plans to do it in three ways: increase renewables, reduce petrol and make…

Australia’s healthcare innovation precincts as competitive advantage

Australia is a recognised leader in healthcare innovation, science and research. It produces novel science, cutting-edge technologies and a strong talent pool. The medical technologies (MedTech) and pharmaceuticals sectors are among the most innovative and significant contributors to R&D globally and within Australia. Australia contributes 3% of the world’s biomedical research. It is one of…

The challenges of working in international research teams

The Australia-Indonesia Centre was established in 2014 to help strengthen the bilateral research links between both countries. In the last three years, the Centre has undergone a significant transformation. It’s new collaborative research model that supports its Australian government funded Partnership for Australia-Indonesia Research (PAIR) program, is built on learnings from the Centre’s first five…

More than just sushi: Indonesia, the emerging seaweed nation

In the small coastal village of Pangkep District, South Sulawesi, seaweed farming has become a profitable business. Of all fisheries and aquaculture activities, seaweed contributes the highest in household income. Communities can earn an average of US$3,000 to $4,000 a year. In fact, farming seaweed can far exceed income in fishing, which is helping turn…

Seaweed nation: Indonesia’s new growth sector

Seaweed farming is a growth industry in eastern Indonesia, and the province of South Sulawesi plays a vital role in its production. The government has ambitious plans to boost its seaweed sector.

AI strategy in the Southeast Asia

Governments around the world see artificial intelligence as a nation defining capability. Countries are looking to their education systems to develop world-class generational AI capability while ensuring equity, privacy, transparency, accountability, economic and social impact.

What are the jobs of tomorrow?

In January, the World Economic Forum released a report on Jobs of Tomorrow: Mapping opportunity in the new economy, exploring how employment and professions are changing, the reasons behind the change and the new skills that are required to respond to the changes.

How can communities take advantage of new connectivity?

A new railway line can benefit communities if they are people-centric. People are likely to remain disadvantaged if they lack the knowledge needed to take advantage of opportunities and if they lack access to enabling resources or the skills needed to gain employment or build an enterprise.

E-commerce in Indonesia

100 million plus internet users in Indonesia.  Australia’s trade commission (Austrade) has released a new guide to help Australian business access the market.