IKN to Have Smart City Operational by 2027 with Rp115 Billion Budget

The Nusantara Capital City (IKN) is preparing a smart city concept that utilises information technology, data, and connectivity to manage resources, improve public service efficiency, and enhance the quality of life for its citizens sustainably.

The groundbreaking for the Smart City Cooperation Center (SCCC), with a total grant cooperation value of 9.9 billion KRW or approximately Rp115.94 billion, was carried out by the IKN Authority together with the Government of South Korea. The SCCC is located in the Western Settlement Planning Sub-Area 1A, Central Government Core Area (KIPP) of Nusantara.

Head of the IKN Authority, Basuki Hadimuljono, assessed the strategic location for the construction of the SCCC as a strengthening of cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea in developing a smart city in Nusantara. “For all permits, don’t worry, everything is with us (IKN Authority). The utilisation of this building is a very good idea and I hope that you can help us build a smart city laboratory that can be used for education, as well as introducing technology from South Korea,” said Basuki.

From the total cooperation value, the SCCC building construction component is valued at 5.5 billion KRW or around Rp64.41 billion. The building, covering an area of approximately 1,098 square metres, is planned to consist of two floors, with the first floor for a control room and meeting rooms, while the second floor will be for an exhibition area as well as an AI and Robotics Lab. The outdoor area of the building will be utilised for urban farming as part of the smart city technology demonstration. Construction of the SCCC building will take ten months and is targeted for completion by the end of 2027.

In addition to building construction, the SCCC grant also includes the preparation of a Smart City Masterplan and Smart Building Protocol by KICT, as well as the Nusantara Smart City Forum and Capacity Building Program by the University of Seoul. These components are directed to support knowledge transfer, capacity strengthening, academic networking, and Indonesia-Korea cooperation in the smart city field.

Director of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MoLIT), Choi Jung-won, conveyed that the SCCC is expected to become a long-term cooperation space between Indonesia and South Korea in smart city development. “Just like in Korea, Korea also built a new city that became a smart city, namely Sejong. Therefore, Nusantara can have that opportunity as well, through the smart city technology collaboration that we have,” said Choi Jung-won.

The IKN Authority hopes the SCCC can become a centre for Indonesia-Korea smart city collaboration, a digital and environmental laboratory, including for the education ecosystem within the IKN delineation, a demonstration space for smart city solutions, and a platform for developing the technology ecosystem in Nusantara.