North Tapanuli, North Sumatra. Chinese tech giant Huawei is poised to help the Indonesian government develop the information and communication technology infrastructure across the sprawling archipelago and achieve the target of a digital economy value of $146 billion by 2025, its executive said on Thursday.

Huawei for more than two decades has become a major partner of the Indonesian government in building connectivity in a country comprising more than 17,000 islands and the company said they came here to stay.

"Huawei Indonesia will support the development of ICT solutions, strengthen collaboration between industries, government and provide better benefits so that Indonesia can play a bigger role in the global digital economy,” Jacky Chen, the chief executive officer of the company’s Indonesian operations, said during an event at Del Institute of Technology in North Sumatra.

Huawei has earlier pledged a $300 million investment in the next five years to upgrade its cloud infrastructure in Indonesia.

In addition to the digital ecosystem, Huawei’s presence in Indonesia also seeks to help strengthen the country’s cybersecurity profile in the face of new global challenges and security risks, he said.

“This requires coordinated and close collaboration, as well as information sharing between stakeholders based on common standards, especially in terms of governance, technical capabilities, and certification. Our seriousness in helping all sectors in Indonesia is in line with the 'I DO' commitment for Indonesia," Jacky said.

National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN) chief Hinsa Siburian thanked Huawei for supporting the government’s attempt to develop security frameworks in its cyberspace.

“With the rapidly growing use of information and communication technology, come security risks to our cyberspace. The BSSN is expected to secure national cyberspace. But how do we do that?” Hinsa told the gathering.

“We are developing 131 computer security incident response teams until 2024 and in order to achieve that target we need to cooperate with all stakeholders,” he said.

Hinsa said President Joko Widodo has repeatedly reiterated Indonesia’s commitment to embracing digital transformation in many sectors and that the country must get prepared to deal with all security risks that come with it.

Chie Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, who founded the Del institute in 2001, said Indonesia needs to advance its digital economy as it aspires to become a developed nation by the time the country marks the centenary of its birth in 2045.

According to Luhut, Indonesia’s GDP is predicted to achieve $3 trillion and its per capita income to top $10,000 by 2030 if it manages to maintain economic growth between 5.5 percent and 6.5 percent and improve economic efficiency through digitalization.

"As a provider of cutting-edge digital technologies, such as 5G, Cloud, and AI, Huawei plays an important role in paving the way for Indonesia to accelerate digital transformation in various sectors, including smart mining and smart maritime. This is an important strategy to achieve the national vision of Indonesia Gold in 2045,” Luhut said in a pre-recorded video message. 

“For that, I would like to appreciate Huawei for its ongoing investment and commitment in Indonesia," Luhut said.

The gathering was also joined by Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno who spoke remotely from Jakarta.

“We are in a transition where digitalization drives transformation. Of course, this development requires Penta-helix collaboration including with industries such as Huawei Indonesia, academia, and the media to ensure the continuity of digital transformation going forward,” Sandiaga said.