Creative Economy Minister Presents IN-APP SUMMIT 2026

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf) held the soft launch of the Indonesia Application Summit (IN-APPS) 2026. Minister of Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, stated that the forum aims to open broader access to digital economic opportunities in an inclusive and sustainable manner.

"IN-APPS 2026 serves as a national forum specifically highlighting the application sub-sector. Through this forum, all stakeholders—ranging from the government, industry, developers, startups, and investors to academics, associations, and communities—can build more targeted collaborations," said the Minister during the event held at the Sinar Mas Land Experience Center, Tangerang Regency, on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

Carrying the theme "Application as the New Engine of Creative Economy Growth," IN-APPS 2026 positions the application sub-sector as a key driver of the creative economy and serves as a lead-up event to the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) 2026. The Minister noted that IN-APPS 2026 would act as a collaborative platform to strengthen the national digital application ecosystem.

In his presentation, the Minister highlighted that Indonesia's creative economy performance in 2025 showed a highly positive trend. Total investment in the creative economy sector reached IDR 183.01 trillion—a 32.23 percent increase from the previous year—surpassing the target set in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN).

According to a release received by RRI Voice of Indonesia on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, export value reached USD 31.94 billion—the highest in the last five years—supported by a workforce of 27.4 million people, predominantly from the younger generation. Creative economy Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth ranged from 6.01 to 6.94 percent, outpacing national GDP growth.

Among all creative economy subsectors, the applications subsector has emerged as the largest contributor to investment, reaching a value of IDR 54.18 trillion. This achievement demonstrates that the applications subsector no longer merely plays a supporting role but has become a primary engine for the growth of Indonesia's digital creative economy.

"IN-APPS 2026 underscores that digital applications are not merely technology products; they are key drivers of innovation, enhancers of competitiveness for creative economy players, and catalysts for creating new business opportunities and broader market access. Today’s soft launch marks a strong starting point for fostering collaboration, innovation, and new investment within the applications subsector, while simultaneously strengthening Indonesia's position on the global digital economy map," explained the Minister of Creative Economy.

In response to this sentiment, Panji Himawan, Senior VP of Corporate Affairs & Operations Support at Sinar Mas Land, believes that cross-sector collaboration is the fundamental basis for generating innovations that deliver tangible impacts on the growth of Indonesia's creative economy. He cited the development of the Banten Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in BSD City as an example of a collaborative space that accelerates the growth of the technology-based creative economy and positions Indonesia as a hub for digital innovation.

"Sinar Mas's digital innovation is exemplified by its Integrated Smart Digital City concept, realized through the One Mile application. We view this forum as a strategic initial step to bring together all stakeholders—government, industry, academia, communities, and investors—to build an increasingly robust Indonesian applications ecosystem," Panji said.