Nezar highlights open source and collaboration as drivers of digital inclusivity

Jakarta - The Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital, Nezar Patria, stated that the government is promoting the strengthening of inclusivity as the foundation of national digital transformation through the utilisation of open source and the development of collaborative ecosystems. “The government sees the importance of the community’s role. Open source is a major asset that can drive leaps in innovation,” Nezar said in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Friday. He explained that with connectivity reaching 97% of inhabited areas and internet penetration at 80.26%, or around 230 million users, Indonesia has a strong base to promote inclusion from access to active participation in innovation. The rapid growth of the digital economy and global technology dynamics require Indonesia to adopt adaptive and open strategies. Amid global competition, including in artificial intelligence (AI) development, an open source-based approach is deemed capable of accelerating innovation while expanding participation of digital actors. “The very rapid growth of AI is driving a technology race influenced by geopolitical dynamics. Mastery of AI technology is closely linked to economic and political dominance at the global level,” Nezar said. In this context, strengthening digital talent becomes a key factor to ensure inclusivity not only creates users but also innovators capable of independently developing technology solutions, including in overcoming infrastructure limitations. In addition, the utilisation of open source is seen to accelerate knowledge transfer and cross-sector collaboration, so that innovation can develop more evenly, efficiently, and ready for industry adoption. “The main key is to build a digital ecosystem. In this regard, open source is very important because it enables more dynamic, open, and community-based development, as well as encouraging industry readiness,” Nezar revealed.