RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesia’s Minister of Creative Economy/Head of the Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf), Teuku Riefky Harsya, affirmed the importance of the creative economy sector in maintaining Southeast Asia’s strategic autonomy amidst global power competition. Strengthening the creative economy is considered increasingly relevant as the economy shifts from physical assets to intangible assets driven by intellectual property (IP), digital content, and technological capabilities.
“The challenge facing Asian countries, including Indonesia, is now maintaining competitiveness in a global ecosystem based on innovation, technology, and talent. Therefore, under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia is making the creative economy a new engine of national economic growth to encourage employment, entrepreneurship, innovation, and cultural diplomacy,” the Minister said.
He said while speaking as a keynote speaker in the Southeast Asia Lecture Series entitled “Between Giants: SEA’s Strategic Autonomy in an Era of Great Power Competition.” It was held at the 2026 Asia Economic Summit at the Fairmont Hotel, Jakarta, Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
Indonesia’s creative economy sector is projected to demonstrate strong performance in 2025, with GDP growth reaching 6.86 percent, 1.75 percentage points higher than national economic growth. This performance is supported by creative economy exports of USD 31.94 billion and realized investment reaching IDR 183 trillion.
Furthermore, the creative economy sector employs more than 27 million workers nationally, dominated by the productive young generation, making it a strategic sector for driving innovation- and talent-based economic growth.
According to a release received by RRI Voice of Indonesia on Thursday, June 18, 2026, the 2026 Asia Economic Summit is a closed, high-level forum attended by approximately 250 government leaders, CEOs, investors, and policymakers, with participation spanning more than 10 countries, 30 major corporations, and 100 organizations to foster real collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Coordinated by Tech in Asia, a member of Singapore-based SPH Media, the forum has consistently featured interactive keynote speeches, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions since 2010, focusing on technology, startups, and Asia’s digital economy policies.
On the occasion, the Minister of Creative Economy emphasized that strategic regional autonomy can be built by optimizing intangible assets such as intellectual property (IP) rights and local talent to address global geopolitical disruption.
In addition, through collaboration with banks, regulators, and the development of IP valuators, the government is working to address financing challenges so that digital assets can become a strong funding base at the national level.
“For the creative economy, intellectual property is a strategic economic asset capable of generating long-term value, creating jobs, attracting investment, and strengthening competitiveness. By strengthening regional cooperation, cross-border partnerships, and supporting creators and innovators, we can contribute to a broader foundation for building a connected, integrated, and innovative creative economy ecosystem across Southeast Asia,” Teuku Riefky said.
Regionally, the Ministry of Creative Economy is collaborating with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) through the Creative Economy Data Model (CEDM) to strengthen the ASEAN digital ecosystem database. This strategic step aims to optimize the potential of the young population and cultural diversity to build a more integrated, innovative, and globally competitive Southeast Asian market.
On the same occasion, the Minister of Creative Economy invited all global delegates attending AES 2026 to continue this strategic collaboration at the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) 2026, which will be held from October 21-23 at JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta.
Addressing crucial issues such as digital platforms, AI, and IP, WCCE 2026 is projected to be a crucial continuation of the discussions at AES 2026 in formulating a global agenda and strengthening an inclusive and sustainable creative economy ecosystem for the future.
Terence Lee, Overall Lead and Editor-in-Chief of Tech in Asia, stated that this year’s edition reflects the growing need for Southeast Asian countries to strengthen coordination in addressing global challenges.
Leave a comment