Ministry Unveils Digital Ecosystem Alignment 2026 for Sector-Wide Digital Shift

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia has launched Digital Ecosystem Alignment (DEAL) 2026, a nationwide initiative led by the Ministry of Communication and Digital to accelerate transformation by uniting government, industry, academia, investors, startups, MSMEs, and local administrations.

DEAL 2026 is designed to strengthen and accelerate national digital transformation by facilitating cross‑stakeholder collaboration and implementing concrete programs that address community needs.

“Digital Ecosystem Alignment is a joint movement that unites all elements of Indonesia’s digital ecosystem to achieve common goals -- acceleration, productivity, and security,” said Minister of Communication and Digital, Meutya Hafid, in Jakarta on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, as quoted by infopublik.id.

Minister Meutya said Indonesia has significant potential to become a global digital economic powerhouse. The country’s digital economy is currently valued at around USD 100 billion, nearly a third of Southeast Asia’s total.

“Indonesia has major strengths in digital economic value and market scale, supported by a population of more than 230 million. These two factors are crucial for accelerating national digital transformation,” she said.

She emphasized that digital transformation should not stop at technological development alone. The process must deliver direct benefits to communities, including micro‑businesses, farmers, fishermen, students, and other groups.

According to her, digital technology must be directed toward increasing efficiency, expanding market access, and opening new economic opportunities that improve welfare. With advanced technology, Indonesia has the opportunity to make a major leap in building an inclusive and sustainable digital economy.

As a first step, the Ministry of Communication and Digital, along with stakeholders, announced eight DEAL 2026 collaboration packages.

These include strengthening connectivity and adding value to the telecommunications industry, ensuring digital consumer protection, promoting digital innovation and technopreneurship, and fostering a healthy and secure digital ecosystem.

Other packages focus on strengthening the national startup ecosystem, developing a national artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem, increasing digital inclusivity and adoption of new technologies, and improving logistics cost efficiency through technology.

Minister Meutya stressed that collaboration is crucial for building a sustainable digital ecosystem, as separate efforts risk overlapping programs and hindering broader benefits.

“Gotong royong, or mutual cooperation, is necessary in developing a digital ecosystem. If we work alone, the ecosystem could become fragmented, and our hopes for significant economic growth may not be realized,” she said.

Several ongoing collaborations illustrate DEAL implementation.

These include IoT technology use with farmer and fish farmer groups in Sleman, Banjarnegara, and Lamongan; practical AI training for 100–150 MSMEs in Wonogiri and Banyuwangi; development of the Response and Aspiration Analysis Dashboard (DARA) to mitigate risks of game addiction in children; and creation of an Ecosystem Dashboard as an integrated national data source.

Director General of Digital Ecosystems, Edwin Hidayat Abdullah, emphasized that challenges posed by AI, the data‑driven economy, and global dynamics require closer collaboration across the ecosystem.

“Digital transformation cannot be solved by the government alone, cannot be driven by industry alone, and cannot succeed without the active participation of the public,” he said.

He explained that DEAL 2026 rests on three pillars: alignment of interests to ensure broad benefits, shared responsibility among government, academia, industry, and communities, and improving public welfare through inclusive digital economic growth.

Through this collaborative approach, DEAL 2026 is expected to align national digital initiatives, enabling Indonesia’s transformation to proceed more quickly, equitably, and sustainably. ***