Government Pushes Digital Transformation with Robotics and AI Technology

Jakarta, INTI  — In the era of Industry 4.0, the Indonesian government, together with the community, academics, and industry players, continues to strive to accelerate digital transformation. One of the key initiatives in the Making Indonesia 4.0 roadmap is the implementation of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

"The Ministry of Industry has been advancing the Industry 4.0 industrialization program with a focus on developing human resources (HR) skilled in robotics. This is crucial for creating a skilled workforce to meet future industrial needs," said Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita in Jakarta, Tuesday (16/7).

To accelerate the transformation of Industry 4.0, especially in the manufacturing sector, the Ministry of Industry initiated the establishment of the Indonesia Digital Industry Center 4.0 (PIDI 4.0). PIDI 4.0 aims to be a one-stop solution for the implementation of Industry 4.0 in Indonesia and serve as Indonesia's window to the world for Industry 4.0.

"PIDI 4.0 provides five main service pillars, namely as an Ecosystem for Industry 4.0, Showcase Center, Capability Center, Delivery Center, and Engineering and AI Center," said Head of the Industrial Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDMI) Masrokhan at the opening of the Robotic Symposium 2.0 at PIDI 4.0 in Jakarta.

In line with PIDI 4.0, the Ministry of Industry is also implementing a 4.0-based curriculum for educational units under its auspices. The curriculum is updated according to industry needs that keep up with the times.

One implementation is the teaching of industrial automation and robotics in the automotive sector in vocational high schools (SMKs) and polytechnics and community academies (AKs) related to mechatronics.

The Head of BPSDMI stated that several educational units owned by the Ministry of Industry have collaborated with industry to implement robotic competency development. There are even robotic teams that have won national and international competitions.

For example, the Ministry of Industry's vocational schools collaborated with Axioo to form the BPSDMI Axioo Robotic Academy for robotics training located at SMK SMTI Padang and SMK SMTI Makassar as robotics training centers, especially for teachers and instructors. Next, two vocational schools with mechatronics expertise, SMK SMTI Yogyakarta and SMK SMTI Makassar, have been able to program the operational Robot 1 ARM as a teaching tool.

Additionally, higher education institutions under the Ministry of Industry have won several national robotics competitions this year. For instance, the Community Academy of Bantaeng won third place at the Indonesian Robotics Contest held at Muhammadiyah University Solo by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.

"This is the most prestigious national robotics contest, and AK Bantaeng is the only community academy in Indonesia to win this contest," said Masrokhan. Then, in the National Robotics Contest for the MPR RI Chairman's Cup, AK Bantaeng and Politeknik APP won several competition categories.

Furthermore, Politeknik APP won first place in the Line Follower category at the Robotics Contest held at Gadjah Mada University. Even Politeknik ATI Makassar also won first place in the Line Follower category at the Robotics Contest in Malaysia, held at Multimedia University Malaysia in January 2024.

According to the latest data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the manufacturing sector in Indonesia has recorded a 15% increase in productivity since the implementation of robotics and AI technology. Additionally, the number of workers in this sector has increased by 10% over the past two years, indicating that digitalization positively impacts the economy and job creation.

In another development, according to the Ministry of Industry's report, the implementation of a 4.0-based curriculum in educational units under the Ministry of Industry has improved the competencies of graduates who are ready to compete in the global job market. Graduates with skills in robotics and AI have higher job opportunities and more competitive salaries.

As the Indonesia Technology and Innovation 2024 (INTI 2024) exhibition approaches, the government invites everyone to attend and witness the latest technological developments at JI-EXPO on August 12-14, 2024. INTI is Indonesia's largest technology and innovation exhibition, showcasing various innovations from both domestic and international sources. More information can be accessed through INTI Asia.