by: Olivier Rabourdin*
(Durian) Thales, an international company that is leading in defense technology sector, has been a partner to Indonesia’s defense stakeholders for over 45 years, providing solutions that safeguard sovereignty and protect the country’s territorial borders.
Thales Group sees the growing potential of the Indonesian digital sector and positions itself as a technology partner to address this booming market. Parallel to this, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry or KADIN has been at the forefront of promoting the Indonesian digital transformation as part of their 2045 “Indonesia Emas” Roadmap.
KADIN and Thales therefore share a common goal in fostering business opportunities in the digital domain. The vision of both KADIN, as a Chamber of Commerce and Thales, as a technology company, is that digitization and innovation will strengthen Indonesian sovereignty.
Now, Thales is taking its collaborative efforts a step further by strengthening its position in the civilian sectors. As Indonesia strives towards digitization to enhance the lives of its citizens, Thales is keen to journey alongside it, offering solutions that harness deep technology including cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and biometrics.
As Indonesia embarks on critical infrastructure projects, the use of digital technology becomes more prevalent. From helping build truly Smart cities with facial recognition technology, to enabling seamless payment systems via a digital ID wallet, Thales is on hand to journey alongside Indonesia’s innovation ambitions, helping build trust in technology.
The full-day “Indonesia Innovation Day” event that was co-hosted with KADIN in May 2024 further accents the commitment that Thales in Indonesia has in driving this forward as we gathered prominent speakers and experts and saw over 200 high-level guests from the public and private sector.
The Special Staff to the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs Edwin Manansang delivered the opening speech alongside the co-hosts of the event, Mme. Pascale Sourisse, President and CEO, Thales International and Mr. Yukki Nugrahawan Hanafi, Coordinating Vice-Chairman of Organizations, Law and Communication of KADIN.
Featuring three panel discussions ranging from digitalizing and cyber-securing public services to innovations in the Space sector and promoting sovereignty in defense through transfers of technology, panelists also offered a plurality of insights from the perspective of private companies. This included PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara and Thales, State-Owned Enterprises like PT Telkom and PT Len Industri, along with decision-makers from BSSN National Cyber Security Agency and KKIP Industrial Defence Committee and Research Institutes, BRIN and PT Semar Sentinel.
Thales also conducted a show and tell segment of live technology demonstrations on Smart City solutions, Space Observation capabilities and Digital ID solutions. These Thales solutions underscore Indonesia’s growing needs in digital accessibility for its citizens, bridging the archipelago through increased connectivity and creating safer and smarter cities.
The KADIN and Thales Innovation Day event was a first stepping-stone as part of a wider collaboration. The two entities further strengthened their collaboration in taking fields of cybersecurity to the next stage through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding during the “Innovation Day”.
In addition, a “centre of excellence”, first of its kind in Indonesia, will be established to initially address the air surveillance requirements, contributing to airspace protection capabilities of the Indonesian Air Force through a joint venture with Indonesia’s state owned firm PT Len Industri that will take Indonesia’s defense capabilities to the next level by reinforcing joint local industrial activities in manufacturing, engineering and services.
Thales is establishing its Indonesian roots and driving change through training and transfer of knowledge. This joint venture will bring the best of both worlds, from Thales’ technological expertise, to PT LEN’s acumen and knowledge of local defense needs and challenges of its Indonesian end users.
Thales has no doubt that this will help Indonesia strengthen its indigenous capabilities in the defense sector and is the start of many fruitful collaboration opportunities to come in other domains such as radios, Combat Management Systems, Electronic Warfare, sonars. (***)
*Olivier Rabourdin, Country Director of Thales in Indonesia
