The training and education sector in Indonesia is a key aspects of Indonesia’s economic growth. Within its goal of becoming an industrial nation by adopting the best practices of Industry 4.0 (also known as “Making Indonesia 4.0), the government of Indonesia recognizes the need to upskill its human resources. This path was put into regulation under Minister of Industry Decree No. 1009/2021, which envisions the presence of an international level vocational education sector in Indonesia. In supporting this initiative, EKONID organized and conducted a Training and Education Including Learning Equipment Delegation. Held from November 22 to 26, 2021, the event was done in partnership with German education and training association and trade fair organizer Didacta, the iniative iMove and business consultancy econAN international with the support of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). The event comprised of one day of seminar on November 23, followed by a series of follow up B2B meetings held in the days after. Moderated by Mr. Maulandiki Dani, Sr. Executive at EKONID’s Training and Education Department, the event was opened by Thomas Graff, Deputy Chief of Mission at the German Embassy to Indonesia, who welcomed the participants of the seminar and reiterated the importance of investing in training and education in Indonesia. His remarks were followed by Mrs. Martina Kollberg, a representative from the BMWi. Mrs. Kollberg said the need for skilled workers is a global issue and she expressed her institutions’ support for EKONID in implementing the German Standard Dual Educational program in Indonesia. Finally, Market Research and Development Advisor at EKONID Mr. Stephan Blocks concluded the opening remarks by expressing his hope that the seminar would go some ways to address the prevailing shortage of skilled workers and assist Indonesia in adopting industry 4.0. After the opening remarks, as many as 11 companies and institutions presented their programs and solutions in improving Indonesia’s training and education sector. These solutions involve the sub-sectors of digital learning, training solutions for specific industries such as shipping and automotive, as well as learning equipment for schools and universities. More than 45 B2B meetings were held in the following days after the seminar. According to data compiled by EKONID, interest in Indonesia for digital learning solutions were practically prevalent. This is perhaps due to the uncertainties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the rapid expansion of Indonesia’s digital economy. Overall, the event was a success with a clear match established between the participating German and Indonesian companies. In closing, EKONID would again like to thank the Didacta, iMove, econAN international and the BMWi for their support in this delegation, as well as the participating companies who joined the event.
Globally, the development of EV marked a significant shift on the policy side of the Indonesian transportation sector. Bearing in mind the country’s nickel reserves, Indonesia is strategically positioned to become a major player in the global EV supply chain. However, Indonesia must invest in technology, talent resources, renewable energy and infrastructure to be part of the EV future of the region. For context, the largest archipelago in the world owns about one-quarter of the world’s nickel reserves. Nickel is a key material in the production of batteries. As of 2020, total global nickel reserves were estimated to be around 94 million metric tons. Of that total, Indonesia has 21 million metric tons, followed by Australia with 20 million metric tons. According to Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, in the next five to ten years, Indonesia needs up to US$35 billion in investment to build up its EV ecosystem and take a key position in the global EV supply chain. In this regard, the Indonesian government has continually issued policies to speed up the development of its EV sector. On September 2020, the government officially annnounced its Electric Vehicle (EV) roadmap, which was published as part of Minister of Industry Regulation No. 27/2020, the roadmap lays out the country’s ambition to become a major player in the global EV market by 2030 with a planned local production capacity of more than 600 thousand units of four-wheeled EV and 2.45 million units of two-wheeled EV annually. Ever since, numerous policies have been issued to further boost the EV sector, such as the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MoEMR) issued MoEMR Regulation No. 13/2020, as well as the recently issued Positive Investment List (PIL). Under PIL, companies that participate in the development of Indonesia’s sector are eligible to benefits that ranges from ease of attaining business licenses to leveraging various tax incentives, such as 0% tariff on luxury vehicle tax for vehicles with zero emission technology as stipulated in Government Regulation No. 47/2021. One company that looks set to be enjoying the benefit of PIL is South Korea-based LG which, at the end of 2020, has reportedly committed towards investing of $9.8 billion towards building an EV battery cell industry integrated with mining, smelting, refining, as well as the precursor and cathode industry. Another example of Indonesia’s seriousness in developing the EV sector is the agreement between four state-owned enterprises formed a holding company of the Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC) in March 2021. IBC plays a strategic role in managing the BEV battery industry value-chain ecosystem from upstream to downstream. With an investment value of $17 billion until 2030, IBC aims to have battery production of around 140 Giga-Watt-hour (GWh) of which 50 GWh will be exported and 90 GWh will be used locally to produce Electric Vehicles. The latest foray from IBC in developing the country’s EV sector is its plan to acquire German automotive manufacturer StreetScooter. The acquisition plan is aimed towards developing a business portfolio, the transfering of knowledge, as well as having strategic partners who have competence in EV development. Additionally, the acquisition is expected to open access for Indonesia to the Europe and American market, allowing Indonesia to become a player in the entire value-added EV supply chain. The Indonesian EV Market Interest According to Gaikindo's report on EV sales in Indonesia in 2019-2021, only 705 total sales were recorded in 2019, with hybrid sales recorded at 685 units and PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) sales at 20. As of June 2021, the number of electric vehicle sales in Indonesia totaled 1,900 units. This total includes 1,378 (72.5%) hybrid models, 34 (1.8%) PHEV units, and 488 (25.7%) BEV units. When viewed from the total sales of cars in Indonesia in the first semester of 2021, the interest in the electric vehicle market is at 0.5% of total cars sold. These figures shows that the Indonesian EV sector is still in its infancy. However, it also shows that market interest has grown significantly. Considering the country’s rapid pace of urbanization and the significant share of youths in the country’s demographic, there is no question that interest in EV will only rise as the Indonesian society moves towards a more sustainable lifestyle. The road is still long for the country in developing its EV ecosystem. For instance, only 219 units charging stations for EVs have been built in 185 locations across Indonesia by November 2021. In comparison, there are over 5,500 official conventional fuel station across the archipelago as of the end of 2020. However, considering the market potential offered by the fourth largest country in the world in terms of population, dismissing the EV sector in Indonesia would be a mistake. Already has Toyota Indonesia announced its plans to build a battery assembly plant for electric cars at the company's facilities located in Karawang, West Java, starting next year. This is in line with the company’s plans to start producing hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in the same period. Toyota’s plans is also in line with the prediction of Yannes Martinus Pasaribu, an automotive expert and academic at the Bandung Institute of Technology, who said that the race to capture the Indonesian EV market may start as early as 2022.
The German-Indonesian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (EKONID) is part of the worldwide German Chamber Abroad Network (91´óÉñ) and represents the bilateral business interests of Indonesian and German member companies and institutions. Acting as a strategic interface between the German and Indonesian economies, EKONID supports companies and institutions from both countries in opening up new trade and investment opportunities.To learn more about us please have a look at our website indonesien.ahk.de For our Communication Department, we are currently looking for an ASSISTANT TO COORDINATOR DIGITALIZATION AND DESIGN Your tasks and responsibilities Conceptualizing creative ideas with internal client (users) A good work relation and cooperation with third party (vendor) Testing and improving the design of the website Establishing design guidelines, standards, and best practices Maintaining the appearance of websites by enforcing content standards Designing visual imagery for websites and ensuring that they are in line with branding for clients Working with different content management systems Communicating design ideas using user flows, process flows, site maps, and wireframes Incorporating functionalities and features into websites Designing sample pages including colors and fonts Preparing design plans and presenting the website structure The ideal candidate has the following profile Education: Minimum a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology or Management Information System Professional experience: At least 2 years of working experience in web design and digitalization Knowledge: A good communication skill with creative mind and open to new ideas. An individual with motivation, ability to adapt, willing to learn new techniques and the able to work independently as well as within a team. Languages: A proficient command in verbal and written English is essential, knowledge of the German language would be an advantage Required technical skills: Excellent visual design skills and proficiency in graphic design software including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and other visual design tools Good understanding of content management systems, such as: Laravel, WordPress, Typo3 (a plus point) Proficiency in front-end development web programming languages such as HTML and CSS, jQuery, and JavaScript as well good understanding of back-end development web programming Good understanding of search engine optimization principles (a plus point) Proficient understanding of cross-browser compatibility issues Up-to-date experience with international web protocols, standards, and technologies Soft skills: A good communication skill with creative mind and open to new ideas. An individual with motivation, ability to adapt, willing to learn new techniques and the able to work independently as well as within a team. If this is you, please send us your application in an electronic format including your latest CV with a description of your current and previous responsibilities and achievements, your motivation letter and three references (if possible). The application deadline is 12 December 2021, submit your application to hrd(at)ekonid.id Please address the application to: Ms. Angeline L. Mandasari, Head of HR EKONID Jl. H. Agus Salim No.115, Jakarta 10310
On October 28, 2021, EKONID held a seminar on cyber security titled “How to prepare your business against cyber-attacks”. Featuring the cyber-security expertise of Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) and Secunet International GmbH, more than 30 participants from various companies joined EKONID’s online seminar to learn the multitude of threats posed by cyber-attacks these days as well as the various solutions they can adopt to reduce or even eliminate cyber-attacks. The impetus behind the online seminar is, as many would have surmised, the sudden burst of remote working as an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, 5% of Americans spent their working time at home, according to data from the Economist Intelligence Unit. By spring 2020, this figure was 60%. As the trend spread across the globe, it has become even more apparent that remote working is here to stay. Companies are realizing that employees are actually spending more time working and are reportedly happier with their work conditions. In the recent Ernst & Young 2021 Work Reimagined Employee Survey, 53% of respondents say their organizational culture has changed and improved during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, while only 31% believe it has worsened. Whatever companies decide, it is important to note that the upward in remote working has also increased the risk of cyber security attacks. In 2020, a staggering 31% of global companies were attacked by cyber criminals at least once per day, according to a report from Acronis, a Swiss-based global technology company. According to cybersecurity firm Barracuda, ransomware attacks grew 64% year-on-year between August 2020 and August 2021. As the main speakers for this online seminar, experts from G+D emphasize how the corporate approach plays a significant role in preventing the more dire effect of cyberattacks. Anveshi Sauraj, Head of Cyber Defense Center at G+D said 80% of firms has seen an increase in cyberattacks among organizations lacking in basic cybersecurity. She said more than 44% of these organizations did not even provide cybersecurity trainings such as, for example, ensuring that home networks have a strong password. 45% of employees have reportedly clicked phishing emails - a common practice among cyber-attackers in gaining access and information from the system. Roehrich Matthias, President Director of G+D Indonesia emphasizes how crucial it is to be aware of cyberattacks and cybersecurity issues. To paraphrase Mr. Matthias, the internet is a system where roughly 30 billion computers are also interconnected and an attack need only come from one. As Indonesia moves towards Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things becomes more of a norm, IT security should ideally be 20% of a company’s capital expenditure, he said. Meanwhile, Christoph Schambach, Sales Manager APAC of Secunet International GmbH, talked about the trend of cybersecurity and what is needed to future proof against cybersecurity attacks through AI and other advanced technologies. He said it is important to have masterplan should an attack occurs. This means not only having the knowledge of the tools, but also knowing which tool to use for certain attacks. As previously mentioned, awareness is an important part of preventing cyberattacks and knowledge remains our greatest tool. The combination of tools and process, with throughout plan from top to bottom, is a good weapon to fight against cyberattacks. The speakers concluded thus: There is no silver bullet to cybersecurity. The best approach is a layered defense. The first and most important is education and awareness. Through several campaigns and trainings, companies could raise awareness and spread information for employees so they are aware of what is happening and know how to protect themselves. The next priority would be to have a cyber incident response plan. Discovering and prioritizing risk without taking any action won’t make any changes. Employees should know who to contact when a cyberattack occur – the reporting of which must be a simplified and defined process. The final layer are the other factors in what Mrs. Sauraj calls “cyber hygiene”. This includes information handling and protection, secure configuration, business resiliency, threat and vulnerability management, authentication authorization and accounting, and endpoint detection and response. EKONID would like to thank the speakers from G+D and Secunet who shared their expertise as well as the all the participants who attended the event. We hope this online seminar has brought us a step closer towards growing our business stronger and more secure as we move toward the era of Industry 4.0.
More than a year-and-a-half has passed since the COVID-19 pandemic started and the global economic environment remains uncomfortable for many businesses. This is shown by the Fall 2021 91´óÉñ World Business Outlook in which the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) summarizes the feedback from more than 3,200 German companies represented abroad. The survey shows that, in addition to rising raw material prices and the still existing travel restrictions, supply chain disruptions have increased again in recent months – more than every second internationally active German company is now affected. As a result, companies' assessments of the economy in international markets are slightly gloomier compared to the spring survey. In this somewhat worsened global growth scenario, however, German foreign trade is holding up well. Across the globe, 52% of German companies surveyed describe their situation as good, while only 11% described their situation as bad. In Europe in particular, the respondents recorded good business, with 55% of the respondents describing their business as doing well. In other European countries, including Great Britain, Switzerland and Norway, 60% said their business was good. In Eastern and Southeastern Europe (excluding the EU), this figure was as much as 67%. "Although the economy is stalling in many regions, German companies are tackling their international locations and asserting themselves on the world markets," says DIHK foreign trade director Volker Treier, summarizing the results. "The DIHK expects German exports to grow by 7.0 percent in 2022 - which is above the long-term average of 4.5 percent." In terms of business development in the next twelve months, the majority of German companies are more optimistic than they were before. Across all regions of the world, 56% expect better, while only 6% expect worse business. "It is encouraging to see that the businesses of the companies at their international locations are proving to be tough and resilient," said Treier. The global investment and employment intentions of companies are also increasing. In Treier's words, this is "all the more remarkable as the global economic recovery as a whole is losing momentum". It is true that 41% of the companies surveyed around the world expect a better local economy, 17% a worse one. In China and North America in particular, however, economic expectations are noticeably gloomier. While 70% of German companies in China assumed a positive local economic trend in the spring, the figure is currently only 36%. In the USA, this figure drops from 74 to 50%. "The companies are concerned that the air is apparently getting thinner in the two world economic locomotives of the last few months," said the DIHK foreign trade chief, commenting on the figures. "These are not good omen for the economic catch-up process after the Corona crisis." Indonesia most confident In a global comparison, companies at locations in Asia and the Pacific (excluding China) are the most confident about economic developments in the coming twelve months. 48% of companies there expect the economy to improve, while only eight percent expect it to worsen. At 40 points, the balance of better minus worse assessments for the region altogether is well above the global average of 24 points and has reached its highest level since the survey began. In Indonesia in particular, companies are the most upbeat compared to the rest of the world in terms of business expectation with slightly over 70% of the companies surveyed expressing confidence about their business prospects moving forward. This is likely due to the continuous improvements in the country’s COVID-19 situation as well as the subsequent reopening of the country’s economic activities. Improvements compared to the previous survey are also expected in India, Japan and the Philippines. Companies in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam have significantly fewer positive expectations than recently. In spring, expectations in these locations were still significantly higher than current economic expectations. Raw material prices, economic policy and skilled workers identified as main risks In recent months, there have been significant price increases for numerous raw materials and intermediate products. Following the decline in global economic output last year, production and thus demand for raw materials have increased significantly. As a result, there are supply bottlenecks and increased prices worldwide. Companies that cite the level of raw material prices as a business risk are most affected by problems in the supply chain or logistics. For 44% of German companies abroad, rising raw material prices currently represent the greatest risk to the global economy, followed by general economic conditions such as taxes, customs duties and sanctions at 40%. Skilled labor shortages are also gaining in importance (from 29 to 37%). As a direct impact of the Corona crisis, travel restrictions (65 percent) and problems with supply chains and logistics (increase from 40 to 54 percent) are also having a negative impact on companies' international business. The 91´óÉñ World Business Outlook is based on a regular DIHK survey of the member companies of the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad, delegations and representative offices (91´óÉñs). In Autumn 2021, the survey received feedback from more than 3,200 German companies and branches worldwide and subsidiaries as well as companies with close ties to Germany. Some 41% of the responding companies come from the industry and construction sector, 37 percent from the service sector and a further 22 percent are trading companies. Smaller companies with fewer than 100 employees account for 46 percent of the answers, while 23 percent of the companies employ 100 to 1,000 people. Large companies with more than 1,000 employees worldwide make up 31 percent of the respondents. As many as 50 Indonesian companies were represented in this survey. For a copy of the 91´óÉñ World Business Outlook Fall 2021, click here