Industry Ministry Encourages Digital IKM Growth

Jakarta, InfoPublik – The Industry Ministry encourages the small and medium industries (IKM) actors, especially young enterpreneurs, to learn and utilize information technology in order to expand their markets. 

Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto stated that the ministry is targetting 20,000 new small-scale enterprises, 4,500 medium-scale enterprises and a ratio of distribution of IKM in Java and outside Java to be 60.34:39.66. 

“We always try to find and make breakthrough policies in order to accelerate IKM growth and distribution”, said Airlangga in Jakarta, Wednesday (9/14). 

According to him, one of the Ministry’s focuses is the rapid growth of IKM in order to equally distribute industry development in many areas. 

He explained that the measure taken by the ministry in developing IKM in the era of data exchange in manufacture technology, called Industry 4.0, is to encourage enterpreneurs to utilize digital means. 

The Minister stressed that we need to observe the actual  condition of IKM and to give solutions for any problems that occur as well as to increase creativity, innovation and competitiveness so IKM products could meet market demands and compete in globalization era. 

IKM Director General of Gati Wibawaningsih elaborated the IKM development plan which is centralized at the industrial area. 

“We will develop a facility to evaluate IKM products and and to solve for IKM-related problems, for example to evaluate the underqualified IKM products for the industry”, she stated. 

She added that Industry Ministry encourages the quality enhancement of the component industry human resources through vocational education. Industry Ministry coordinates with Textile Technology Academy (ST3) Bandung to create mechanics who master in textile machinery. (Translator: Erik Limantara)