AN OPEN LETTER TO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

Gibran Rakabuming Raka

On Indonesia's Future: From a Resource-Rich Nation to a Global Technological Power

To His Excellency Gibran Rakabuming Raka,

Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia

Your Excellency,

We write this letter not merely to express our hopes to a leader, but to voice a fundamental question about the future of the Indonesian nation.

Will Indonesia continue to be a nation that supplies natural resources for the advancement of other countries, or will it have the courage to become a nation that masters technology to determine its own destiny?

This question will become increasingly critical in a rapidly changing world. Artificial Intelligence (AI), semiconductors, robotics, advanced computing, energy technology, electrification, biotechnology, and automated industrial systems are fundamentally transforming how nations build economic strength, defense capabilities, and global influence.

Amid these changes, Indonesia possesses the opportunity to step further than merely following global trends.

We hope that one day, should Your Excellency receive the people's mandate to lead Indonesia as the President of the Republic of Indonesia, you will bring a bold, measurable, and technology-capacity-oriented national transformation agenda.

Not just building more infrastructure, but building the intellectual, industrial, and technological capacity that enables Indonesia to create its own future.

I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: INDONESIA MUST BE A CREATOR, NOT JUST A USER

AI is not merely an application that answers human queries. It holds the potential to transform public services, education, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, scientific research, and defense.

Indonesia requires a national AI strategy that does not stop at the utilization of foreign products.

We hope Indonesia will build a national AI ecosystem through:

· The development of AI models for the Indonesian language and regional languages, complete with robust data protection and responsible governance.

· National computing centers, efficient data centers, and high-performance computing infrastructure.

· Early to higher education in AI, mathematics, science, and engineering.

· Support for researchers, startups, universities, and local industries to develop AI products that can compete internationally.

· The utilization of AI to detect budget anomalies, enhance government procurement transparency, improve public services, and reduce corruption opportunities, while maintaining human oversight and protecting citizens' rights.

Indonesia does not have to create everything alone. However, Indonesia must possess the capacity to understand, develop, operate, and control strategic technologies that determine its national interests.

II. SEMICONDUCTORS: BUILDING CAPACITY FROM THE GROUND UP

Semiconductors are a critical foundation for computers, AI data centers, electric vehicles, telecommunications, industrial equipment, and various modern electronic systems.

We understand that building a cutting-edge semiconductor industry requires massive investment, skilled professionals, infrastructure, energy security, supply chains, and a long timeframe.

Therefore, Indonesia requires a phased and realistic strategy.

Initial steps could include the development of chip design, integrated circuit design, semiconductor testing and packaging, power electronics, as well as research in supporting materials and manufacturing.

Indonesia also needs to strengthen education in electrical engineering, materials physics, hardware engineering, and computer science.

The government must build strategic partnerships with countries and companies possessing semiconductor capabilities, while ensuring knowledge transfer, local workforce development, and the enhancement of domestic industrial capabilities.

The ultimate goal is not merely to attract foreign factories, but to build national expertise that scales up from one stage of the industry to the next.

III. DOWNSTREAMING: DO NOT STOP AT RAW MATERIAL PROCESSING

Downstreaming presents a significant opportunity for Indonesia. However, the success of downstreaming should not solely be measured by the number of smelters, production volume, or the export value of processed products.

The more fundamental question is: how much knowledge, technology, added value, and industrial capacity truly remains within Indonesia?

Nickel, copper, bauxite, tin, silica, and various other resources can become part of a more complex industrial chain.

We hope Indonesia's downstreaming moves towards the development of battery materials, electronic components, energy storage systems, power electronics, high-tech industrial materials, and increasingly advanced manufacturing capabilities.

Indonesia also needs to develop more efficient processing technologies, reduce environmental impacts, improve occupational safety, and ensure that communities in resource-producing regions receive tangible benefits.

Natural wealth should serve as capital to build industrial intelligence, not as an excuse to eternally depend on foreign technology.

IV. ENERGY AND ELECTRIFICATION: THE FOUNDATION FOR INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

No high-tech industry can thrive without a reliable, affordable, and abundant energy supply.

AI requires data centers. Semiconductors require highly stringent production facilities. Electric vehicles require charging networks. Modern industry requires a stable electricity supply and robust grid infrastructure.

Therefore, the energy transition must be designed as an integral part of the national industrialization strategy.

Indonesia needs to accelerate the development of solar energy, geothermal, hydro, energy storage, smart grids, and other technologies suited to its geographical conditions and national needs.

We also require research into next-generation batteries, battery recycling, power electronics, energy management systems, and industrial efficiency technologies.

The development of civil nuclear energy, if considered, must undergo rigorous studies regarding safety, economics, regulatory readiness, and public acceptance.

The goal is not to chase technology simply because it is a global trend.

The goal is to ensure that Indonesia possesses an energy foundation that allows its national industry to grow without sacrificing environmental sustainability, public safety, and economic stability.

V. TECHNOLOGIES YET TO BE MASTERED: INVESTING IN THE SCIENCE THAT DETERMINES THE FUTURE

Your Excellency,

Major transformations often begin in fields of science initially understood only by researchers.

Quantum computing, photonics, advanced robotics, next-generation materials, biotechnology, space technology, precision sensors, and automation systems are fields worthy of serious study, according to Indonesia's readiness and needs.

Not all of these technologies must be mass-produced immediately. However, Indonesia must build the capacity to assess their potential, train experts, conduct research, and determine which fields are worthy of becoming national priorities.

We hope the government will strengthen long-term research funding, university laboratories, university-industry collaborations, and pathways for research outcomes to be developed into beneficial products.

A nation that merely purchases the end results of other nations' research risks falling behind when such technologies become determinants of economic competitiveness and national security.

Conversely, a nation that invests in science provides its younger generation the opportunity to become creators of solutions for the world.

VI. EDUCATION AND TALENT: INDONESIA'S GREATEST WEALTH IS ITS PEOPLE

Technological transformation will not succeed if it is centered only in Jakarta, specific industrial zones, or a few major universities.

Children in Sulawesi, Papua, Kalimantan, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara, Sumatra, and various other regions of Indonesia must have equal opportunities to access science education, adequate internet, laboratories, digital training, and technology scholarships.

Indonesia needs an education system that does not merely produce users of digital devices, but also engineers, scientists, technicians, software developers, materials experts, chip designers, and technology entrepreneurs.

We hope the government will build educational and training pathways that connect schools, polytechnics, universities, industries, and research centers.

Indonesian talents studying abroad must also be given opportunities and incentives to collaborate, return to contribute, or build research networks that strengthen national capacity.

Indonesia's future must not be determined by where a child is born, but by the opportunity to develop their capabilities.

VII. GOVERNANCE, ANTI-CORRUPTION, AND THE COURAGE TO MEASURE RESULTS

Technology cannot replace leadership integrity.

Large budgets without oversight will only result in expensive projects that may not necessarily build national capacity.

Therefore, every technological transformation program must have measurable targets, transparent procurement, independent audits, protection against conflicts of interest, and public evaluations of results that are accessible to society.

We hope the government measures success not only by announced investment values, but also by the number of experts trained, technological capabilities successfully built, industrial productivity, research growth, national company growth, and economic benefits received by the public.

Every strategic project must answer a simple question:

Does this project strengthen Indonesia's capabilities, create quality jobs, enhance technological mastery, and provide long-term benefits for the people?

If the answer is unclear, the policy must be evaluated.

VIII. INDONESIA MUST HAVE A ROADMAP THAT TRANSCENDS A SINGLE ADMINISTRATION

Technological transformation cannot be completed in just one or two years.

Indonesia requires a long-term roadmap with five, ten, and twenty-year targets, complete with phases, success indicators, funding sources, and periodic evaluations.

This strategy must involve scientists, engineers, industry players, local governments, universities, workers, and the public.

Successful policies must be continued. Failed policies must be corrected based on evidence, not maintained for political interests.

We hope the national technology agenda becomes a cross-administration agenda, for the future of the nation is too important to be sacrificed by a change of power.

CLOSING: WE AWAIT THE COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP TO BUILD THE FUTURE

Mr. Gibran Rakabuming Raka,

We convey our hope that you will prepare yourself so that one day, should you obtain the people's mandate as the President of the Republic of Indonesia, you will lead a transformation that makes Indonesia more technologically independent, stronger in industry, more advanced in science, and more equitable in distributing the results of development.

We do not expect a promise that Indonesia will become a world leader in all fields of technology simultaneously.

We expect the courage to determine priorities, build foundations, develop human resources, choose partnerships wisely, and be accountable for every policy to the people.

Indonesia possesses vast natural resources, a large domestic market, a potential young generation, and a strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region.

All of this can become the foundation for greater progress if accompanied by science, good governance, productive investment, and leadership with a long-term vision.

We do not want Indonesia to be known only for what is contained within its soil. We want Indonesia to be known for what its people's minds, hands, and intelligence can create.

We want to see Indonesia not merely buying the technology of the future, but participating in building and developing it.

Not merely exporting resources, but producing high-tech products.

Not merely following global changes, but possessing the capability to help determine the direction of those changes.

We await the future when Indonesian children can become scientists, engineers, inventors, and industry leaders whose works are utilized by the global community.

Our hope is simple, but our aspiration is grand: a smarter, more independent, more competitive, and more prosperous Indonesia.

May these ideas become part of the national conversation regarding the direction of Indonesia's development and the leadership's responsibility to future generations.

Respectfully,

An Indonesian citizen who hopes for a more advanced future for the nation.

Search Description (150 words): An open letter addressed to Indonesia's Vice President, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, outlining a bold, long-term national transformation agenda. This CakraNegara News Op-Ed argues that Indonesia must transition from being a mere supplier of natural resources to becoming a global technological power. The letter details strategic imperatives across Artificial Intelligence (AI), semiconductor development, industrial downstreaming, energy infrastructure, and deep-tech research. It also emphasizes the critical need for equitable education and anti-corruption governance to ensure that technology serves the people. This is not just a set of policy recommendations; it is a visionary call for leadership that transcends political cycles, urging Indonesia to build the intellectual and industrial capacity to determine its own future on the global stage.

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