Indonesia Seeks Strong US Presence at Upcoming Creative Economy Conference
Indonesia Seeks Strong US Presence at Upcoming Creative Economy Conference
Jakarta. Indonesia is seeking strong participation from US government officials and businesses at the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE), which will be held in Jakarta from Oct. 21-23, as the two countries look to deepen cooperation in the rapidly growing sector.
Indonesia and the United States have established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for 2024-2028, supported by an action plan that includes cooperation in the creative economy.
The US is also Indonesia’s largest export market for creative economy products. According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), exports to the US reached $3.31 billion between January and April 2026.
Fashion dominated those exports at $2.80 billion, followed by handicrafts at $480 million and culinary products at $15.55 million.
“We are very open to cooperation between Indonesia and the United States across various creative economy subsectors,” Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya said in a statement.
“Various directorates within the ministry are ready to work with US stakeholders to ensure concrete follow-up to the Indonesia-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” he added.
The Jakarta conference is expected to attract more than 8,000 participants from over 50 countries and produce the Jakarta Vision on Creative Economy 2026, a document intended to outline priorities for international cooperation in the sector.
Earlier this week, Teuku met with Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Dwisuryo Indroyono Soesilo to discuss preparations for the conference, including plans to invite major US technology companies and artificial intelligence firms.
Microsoft is among the companies Indonesia plans to invite.
Hollywood Cooperation on the Agenda
Indonesia is also seeking an agreement with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce during the conference as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral creative economy cooperation.
Potential areas of cooperation include film, television and media production; intellectual property and brand protection; technology and innovation; and cultural exchange.
The Creative Economy Ministry has previously collaborated with US partners on several initiatives.
These include the AI for Creative Economy Hackathon with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the AILeap Nusantara program with Microsoft to develop digital talent, and the American Spaces Indonesia Esports Development (ASIED) program in partnership with the US Embassy in Indonesia.
Dwisuryo said Indonesia would continue exploring opportunities that could lead to concrete cooperation between the two countries’ creative industries.
“The creative economy is a highly promising sector with significant potential. As a next step, we will first review the document before determining the appropriate follow-up together,” the ambassador said.
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