Nusantara Snack Trail Becomes a Platform for Empowerment and Introduction of AI to MSMEs
Food festivals are no longer just meeting points for sellers and buyers. In the face of rapid digital transformation, activities like these are increasingly being used as spaces to empower micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), while also introducing new technologies that can help develop their businesses. This was evident at the Jejak Jajanan Nusantara 2026 event, held from 6–8 March 2026 in Jakarta.
Under the theme ‘Celebrate Flavour, Empower the Nation’, the festival not only showcases a range of traditional cuisines but also presents various capacity‑building initiatives for MSMEs through the use of digital technology, including artificial intelligence (AI). The festival is designed as a meeting space for MSME operators, creative communities, and the public to celebrate Nusantara’s culinary wealth while opening economic opportunities for small businesses. In addition to expanding market access, the event aims to revive collective memories of traditional snacks and strengthen social networks within society.
During the activities, MediaWave, via its MWX platform, participated by presenting the MSME Clinic Booth. This area serves as a consultation space for business operators to receive mentoring on business development and to learn about AI-based solutions that can assist their operations.
One of the key moments of the event was the visit by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhaimin Iskandar to the booth area. He was greeted by MediaWave’s CEO & Co‑founder Erik Palupi, who explained how AI technology can help MSME operators enhance efficiency and business competitiveness. Erik stressed that the use of AI technology does not have to be complicated or expensive for small business owners.
‘Through MWX, we are committed to bringing AI technology that is easily accessible and relevant to MSMEs’ needs, from creating promotional content, managing customer interactions, to assisting with basic financial record‑keeping,’ Erik said.
The MSME Clinic Booth carried the theme ‘Upgrading Together, MSMEs Empowered, the Nation Prosperous’. The facility provides various forms of support for business operators, from business development consultations, accelerating legality and product certification, to encouraging MSMEs to enter the digital ecosystem.
In addition to consultations, MediaWave also ran an educational session through the workshop ‘Juragan UMKM x MWX’. In this session, participants were introduced to how to use AI to speed up various operational tasks, such as creating promotional material, basic market research, and managing customer communications.
MWX is an AI marketplace offering more than 20 digital solutions that can be used by MSMEs. The services available include digital content creation, sales automation, market analysis, and financial and legal document management. To date, the platform has been used by more than 10,000 MSMEs, with over 5,000 transactions in the marketplace.
The approach emphasises ease of use and affordability so that AI technology can be accessible to small business owners beginning their digital transformation.
MediaWave itself has more than 15 years of experience in data analytics and artificial intelligence and actively provides AI utilisation training to MSMEs in various Indonesian cities, such as Jakarta, Bandung, Bogor, Yogyakarta, and Kupang. Looking ahead, the company aims to train and integrate around 100,000 MSMEs into the MWX platform ecosystem.
With this approach, festivals like Jejak Jajanan Nusantara are expected not only to celebrate traditional culinary delights but also to serve as an entry point for MSMEs to leverage digital technology to grow their businesses.