Coordinating Minister Airlangga studies Canada's strategy for developing AI data centres

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, has studied Canada’s approach to developing data centres as part of the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem.

This was discussed during a luncheon session titled “Scaling Canada’s AI and Technology Ecosystem” held alongside the Canada Investment Summit 2026 in Toronto, Canada.

“Canada’s approach to building data and computing sovereignty is relevant for Indonesia, particularly in preparing energy readiness and public trust as the foundation for the future development of the national AI and data centre ecosystem,” Airlangga stated in a briefing in Jakarta on Thursday.

Airlangga explained that Canada’s AI strategy is built upon three pillars: public trust, opportunity creation, and sovereign control.

In developing data centres, Canada has established a framework that considers environmental preservation, investment for local communities, and data sovereignty. This framework has already been adopted by the world’s major hyperscaler companies.

Canada also utilises its infrastructural advantages, including the availability of clean energy and relatively low-cost natural gas, to support the construction of large-capacity data centres in Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.

According to Airlangga, this approach demonstrates that AI infrastructure development requires not only technology and investment but also energy support, data governance, and public trust.

Furthermore, the ‘maple leaf nation’ has set several targets to encourage domestic AI adoption, particularly in the healthcare, education, natural resources, and defence sectors. These efforts are supported by an equity fund valued at US$500 million.

The private sector’s role in developing Canada’s AI ecosystem was also discussed, including through the venture capital fund OpenText, which is directed towards building a local AI ecosystem on a global scale.