The Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) has launched the Indonesia AI Center of Excellence, a strategic initiative to accelerate the country’s AI competitiveness.

In collaboration with Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat), Cisco, and NVIDIA, the Center is designed to support sovereign innovation, inclusive talent development, and a scalable AI ecosystem.

The Center is powered by NVIDIA technology, secured by Cisco’s infrastructure, and enabled by Indonesia’s leading digital telco capabilities.

It aims to make AI accessible to all Indonesians across rural and urban areas, in startups and enterprises, and among the government and citizens.

“This collaboration proves that digital sovereignty can be built together. We want Indonesia to be more than just a technology market—we want it to be a home for innovation and the creation of AI technologies that are relevant to the nation’s needs,” said Meutya Hafid, Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs.

Strategic Collaboration with Indosat, Cisco, and NVIDIA Forms National AI Infrastructure

The Center of Excellence is built on six institutional pillars: a secure AI sandbox for real-world industry applications, training programs to certify tens of thousands in AI and data science, a startup accelerator, an enterprise co-creation hub, a national large language model platform, and a think tank for ethical AI policy grounded in local values.

A sovereign AI infrastructure will be expanded by Indosat and NVIDIA to support high-performance AI workloads.

Indosat’s AI Factory, Lintasarta, will be the first in Southeast Asia to integrate the NVIDIA GB200 NVL72, aimed at enabling generative AI and high-performance computing.

“With the support of global partners, we’re accelerating Indonesia’s path to economic growth by ensuring Indonesians are not just users of AI, but creators and innovators,” said Vikram Sinha, President Director and CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison.

AI for All: Inclusive Talent Development and Democratized Access Across Indonesia

The Center aims to provide access to AI for hundreds of millions of Indonesians by 2027 through Indosat’s mobile network infrastructure.

This initiative is designed to overcome geographic barriers, expand opportunities for developers, and make AI more widely accessible.

The Center is committed to equipping 1 million Indonesians with digital skills in networking, security, and AI by 2027.

NVIDIA will support research through its AI Technology Center, assist startups via its Inception program, and offer training through its Deep Learning Institute.

Cisco will contribute through its Networking Academy to train 500,000 Indonesians by 2030.

“Democratizing AI is more important than ever,” said Ronnie Vasishta, Senior Vice President of Telecom at NVIDIA.

“Through strategic collaborations, developer enablement and wireless infrastructure guidance, we’re helping Indonesia build a sustainable AI ecosystem that will help to create a blueprint for how nations can harness AI to uplift every citizen”.

Securing Indonesia’s Digital Future Through Cisco’s Intelligent Infrastructure

Cisco will provide secure, intelligent infrastructure to protect Indonesia’s digital assets and intellectual property.

This includes a Sovereign Security Operations Center (SOC) Cloud Platform, the first in Indonesia to use Splunk, combined with Cisco’s Managed Security Services Solutions.

The SOC will integrate AI-powered threat detection, localized data control, and national infrastructure compatibility, supporting secure and compliant AI development across sectors.

“The AI era demands fundamental architectural shifts and a workforce with the digital skills to thrive. Together with Indosat, NVIDIA, and KOMDIGI, Cisco will securely power the AI Centre of Excellence, enabling innovation, skills development, and accelerating Indonesia's economic growth,” said Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO of Cisco.

Building a Homegrown AI Ecosystem Rooted in Local Innovation and Policy

The initiative will promote responsible and ethical AI development through a national think tank focused on policies rooted in local values.

It will also support the creation of national large language models to reflect Indonesia’s cultural and linguistic diversity.

This public-private collaboration is intended to build national capabilities, empower local talent, and enable AI to serve the needs of all Indonesians.

PHOTO: INDOSAT OOREDOO HUTCHISON

This article was created with AI assistance.