Indonesia’s tech sector saw fresh momentum yesterday with former President Joko Widodo highlighting the country’s shift toward an “intelligent economy” in a speech at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum. He emphasized integrating AI and advanced tech into government, industry, and daily life, predicting a revolution in humanoid robots that could transform productivity. This matters because Indonesia already dominates Southeast Asia’s digital market, accounting for about 43% of the region’s share, and such leadership could attract more global investment amid projections for the area’s Digital Economy to Hit 300B by 2025">digital economy to hit $300 billion by year’s end—up from $77 billion in 2022. Widodo pointed to homegrown successes like ride-hailing app Gojek, e-commerce platform Tokopedia, and health tech startup Halodoc as proof of Indonesia’s supportive ecosystem, which has helped these firms scale rapidly.

In related news, Indonesia’s government announced plans to ramp up renewables to 70% of its electricity mix by 2035, a big jump from today’s 16%. This policy, part of the national Electricity Supply Business Plan, signals a tech-driven energy transformation that could boost cleantech startups and digital infrastructure, like smart grids and AI-optimized power systems. It matters for the broader digital economy, as reliable energy is key to expanding data centers and AI adoption, areas where Indonesia is pushing hard to compete regionally.

On the regulatory front, discussions around maturing Web3 rules in Indonesia gained traction on social media, with experts noting clearer pathways for blockchain innovation. This could ease hurdles for fintech and crypto startups, though details remain uncertain as policies evolve.

Watch for upcoming government updates on AI integration and potential funding rounds for Indonesian startups, especially in health tech and renewables, which could shape Southeast Asia’s digital growth into 2026.