Sinar Mas Supports Garuda Spark to Strengthen Indonesia’s Digital Ecosystem

Driving Innovation, AI Talent and New Business Opportunities

“We are optimistic that the Garuda Spark Innovation Hub initiative will have an even greater impact on the development of Indonesia’s digital industry by being part of an ecosystem specifically designed for this purpose, namely the Biomedical Campus in BSD City. We hope to see more digital innovators and artificial intelligence talent come to places like this to collaborate, connect with global partners and create new business opportunities across Indonesia, including by helping micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) move up the value chain. This will contribute to our collective efforts to drive Indonesia’s economic growth,” Sinar Mas Managing Director Ferry Salman said at the inauguration.

GSIH BSD City was established through a collaboration between the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs and Sinar Mas Land under a Private Owned, Government Operated (POGO) scheme. Under the partnership, Sinar Mas Land provides the physical infrastructure, while the government orchestrates programs and an ecosystem connecting startups, digital talent, industry players, investors, academia, government institutions and global partners. Beyond serving as a collaborative space, GSIH BSD City is expected to become a gateway for Indonesian innovation, providing access to global partners, markets and business opportunities.

Public-Private Collaboration

At the inauguration, Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid said the presence of GSIH hubs in various cities represents an effort to bring together the strengths of Indonesia’s digital transformation, encompassing industry players, government, businesses, investors and academia. GSIH is intended to serve as a shared platform where stakeholders can collaborate rather than develop independently within their respective sectors. The initiative is also expected to contribute to the government’s target of achieving national economic growth of up to 8%, while promoting more transparent and efficient business governance and helping accelerate improvements in Indonesia’s corruption perception index, Meutya said.

The expansion of the initiative is aimed at opening pathways for innovators from different cities, including community-based initiatives and MSMEs, to gain equal access to technology, knowledge, human resources, networks, funding and opportunities to attract global investors. The GSIH network was further strengthened through the signing of memoranda of understanding between Komdigi and Sinar Mas Land, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, Nongsa Digital Park and Ericsson, underscoring the importance of cross-sector collaboration.

The occasion also introduced GSIH BSD City as “The New Home of Indonesia’s Digital Ecosystem & Global Gateway,” building on the foundations established by GSIH in 2025 through hubs in Bandung, Jakarta and Medan. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, the initiative seeks to highlight the diverse potential and local strengths of each hub and the communities surrounding it.

As a global hub, the facility at the Biomedical Campus is expected to facilitate technology transfer and venture funding for Indonesian startups while also encouraging international investors to establish a presence in Indonesia. Sinar Mas Land’s CEO of Digital Tech Ecosystem & Development, Irawan Harahap, said the hub’s location is strategically positioned within a special economic zone focused on education, healthcare, the digital economy and the creative economy, reinforcing its role as a bridge between Indonesian innovators and the global market.