DPR: Developing Cimahi as an Animation City to Support West Java's Creative Economy

Cimahi is evolving beyond a destination for culinary and fashion shopping, emerging as a centre for learning and engaging with the animation industry. Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) supports efforts to develop Cimahi, West Java, as a national animation industry hub by strengthening the creative economy ecosystem through the involvement of local and central governments, as well as industry players.

Speaking in Cimahi on Friday, the Chairman of Commission VII, Saleh Partaonan Daulay, stated that Indonesia needs to develop cities with strong sectoral identities and advantages so that every region possesses a unique and competitive economic character. “I strongly agree. We need to build models similar to specialised cities in other countries. Cimahi must be able to develop into an animation city,” he said during the Working Committee (Panja) agenda for National Film Creativity and Distribution.

According to Daulay, developing regional identities based on flagship sectors can create new attractions while driving local economic growth, allowing Cimahi to become a destination for people to learn, collaborate, and develop creative works. This optimism is supported by the presence of animation industry players in Cimahi who have demonstrated the ability to compete in international markets, providing essential capital for building a city identity based on the creative economy.

One local animation studio, Ayena Mandiri Sinema Studio, noted that approximately 20 per cent of its current workload originates from export markets, involving more than 100 creative workers from Cimahi in its production activities. Robby Ul Pratama, CEO of Ayena Mandiri Sinema Studio, stated that the animation industry also impacts the development of local human resources. The involvement of local labour demonstrates that the animation industry not only produces creative works but also creates job opportunities for the younger generation in West Java, which is one of the largest creative economy hubs in Indonesia.

Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) indicates that the creative economy sector is projected to absorb 27.4 million workers by 2025, representing approximately 18.7 per cent of the national workforce, with West Java being the province with the largest absorption of creative economy workers, reaching 6.24 million people. The DPR believes that developing Cimahi as an animation city can serve as a strategy to strengthen the creative economy ecosystem in West Java and enhance Indonesia’s competitiveness in the global market.