Creative Economy Ministry and US Embassy Boost Collaboration in Gaming Industry
“We hope the US Embassy can bring more players and creative economy subsectors from the United States to collaborate and share their experiences in Indonesia.”
Jakarta (ANTARA) — Minister of Creative Economy and Head of the Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf), Teuku Riefky Harsya, has invited the United States Embassy in Jakarta to facilitate greater collaboration between creative economy players of the two countries, particularly in the gaming industry.
“We hope the US Embassy can bring more players and creative economy subsectors from the United States to collaborate and share their experiences in Indonesia,” he said in an official statement from the US Embassy received in Jakarta on Saturday.
He hopes the strengthened cooperation can be realised through the presence of an American Corner in every creative hub in Indonesia in the future.
“Through this collaboration, we are confident it will be easier for us to activate and optimise the functions of these creative spaces,” said Riefky.
He also views esports as one of the continuously growing sectors driving the creative economy, and expressed support for the American Spaces Indonesia Esports Development (ASIED) initiative spearheaded by the US Embassy.
“Esports today has become an important part of Indonesia’s creative economy. It involves not only athletes, but also casters, content creators, coaches, event organisers and many other creative professions growing together within one ecosystem,” he said.
He noted that human resource development in the gaming subsector aligns with efforts to strengthen the creative economy ecosystem.
Through collaboration with various partners, the Ministry of Creative Economy continues to expand access to learning spaces, creative workspaces and creative hubs for young people across the regions, so that more creative talent is ready to enter the national gaming industry.
“Therefore, we are ready to continue this collaboration so that more young Indonesian talent gains opportunities to develop,” said Teuku Riefky Harsya.
The ASIED initiative is a programme to develop young Indonesian digital talent, using esports as the medium for activities including workshops on competition management, broadcasting, league operations, graphic design, content creation and match commentary.
The nationwide programme ran for more than seven months and was held in seven cities — Padang, Pontianak, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Malang, Makassar and Ambon — with more than 1,750 participants and 50 esports communities taking part across Indonesia.
As the culmination of the ASIED programme, the US Embassy collaborated with the Indonesian Esports Association (PB ESI), the Odong Prestasi Indonesia Foundation and Garudaku Academy to host the National Esports Championship Finals of American Spaces Indonesia at @america in Jakarta on Friday (17 July).
Abraham Lee, Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Jakarta, said the digital ecosystem can serve as a catalyst for building friendships between nations.
He also noted that esports has become one of the main vehicles for connecting young people across cultures and continents.
“Through ASIED, we can see directly how a shared love of gaming can foster friendships, build skills and open doors of opportunity for Indonesian youth and for broader US-Indonesia relations,” said Abraham Lee.