Jakarta, INTI - Indonesia and Singapore have officially launched Project NUSA (Network of Unified and Secure AI), a collaborative initiative aimed at establishing an artificial intelligence (AI) governance framework and developing a secure, integrated, and sovereign open-data ecosystem.

The project was launched during the AI Impact Summit at Bali Tech Week 2026, held in Denpasar, Bali.

Project NUSA is designed as a collaborative platform connecting governments, industry players, universities, and communities to strengthen AI governance and accelerate the adoption of AI technologies across various sectors.

Hammam Riza, Chairman of the Indonesian Artificial Intelligence Industry Research and Innovation Collaboration (Korika), explained that NUSA does not refer to Nusantara, Indonesia's national capital project, but stands for Network of Unified and Secure AI.

“NUSA does not mean Nusantara. It stands for Network of Unified and Secure AI, reflecting our efforts to build communication and collaboration within this network,” Hammam said.

Project NUSA Promotes Open-Source AI Governance and Data Sovereignty

Hammam explained that Project NUSA aims to align ideas, policy development, technology implementation, and AI adoption through a collaborative network involving multiple stakeholders.

One of its core principles is open-source AI governance, which promotes transparent technology development while upholding ethical standards and human involvement.

“This is where the first key principle comes in: open-source AI governance, which promotes openness while applying governance based on ethical principles and human involvement throughout the process,” Hammam emphasized.

Beyond open-source governance, Project NUSA prioritizes open data and knowledge as the foundation for a collaborative AI ecosystem.

The framework draws on various benchmarks and approaches adopted in Europe, the United States, Singapore, and Indonesia.

These approaches also contribute to the development of Indonesia's Presidential Regulation on the National AI Roadmap, which is intended to strengthen policy direction for the development and utilization of AI technologies nationwide.

In its implementation, Korika serves as a coordinator of Indonesia's AI ecosystem, connecting government institutions, industry players, academics, and other relevant stakeholders.

Korika also draws on the experience and expertise of AI Singapore to help domestic industries implement AI governance in a more structured manner.

Hammam Riza Emphasizes That Sovereign AI Does Not Mean Isolation

Hammam stressed that sovereign AI should not be interpreted as an attempt to isolate Indonesia from global technological developments.

Instead, AI sovereignty should be built through international cooperation, enabling countries to keep pace with technological advances while retaining control over how AI is developed and deployed.

“Sovereign AI means inviting everyone to work together and collaborate in keeping up with developments in AI technology,” Hammam said.

Through Project NUSA, Indonesia and Singapore aim to become among the global reference points for AI governance and technology adoption.

The collaboration extends beyond the two countries, involving 20 additional parties contributing to ecosystem development and technology implementation.

On the infrastructure side, Project NUSA utilizes data center facilities located across Indonesia and Singapore to support cross-border collaboration.

Hammam said the initiative aspires to become a leading platform for open-source AI governance while expanding access to data and knowledge.

“We are building Project NUSA to become the number one platform for providing open-source AI governance and opening up data and knowledge for various applications,” he explained.

AI Singapore Highlights Governance Challenges Amid Rapid Technological Growth

William Tjhi, Deputy Director of AI Products at AI Singapore, said AI development has reached a critical turning point that requires stronger governance frameworks.

According to William, the rapid pace of technological advancement presents challenges for governments, industries, and other stakeholders seeking to establish regulations that can keep up with change.

“Thinking about governance is extremely challenging because the AI landscape is evolving so rapidly,” William said.

He warned that AI governance could become fragmented if individual countries and organizations develop their own approaches independently.

Cross-border collaboration is therefore essential to align different approaches and establish governance frameworks that can be applied more broadly.

William noted that Indonesia and Singapore possess complementary strengths in AI development and implementation.

Singapore has strengths in advanced technology and AI solution development, while Indonesia offers a large market for testing and validating different AI use cases.

Combining Singapore's technological capabilities with Indonesia's market scale is expected to produce a governance framework that addresses the practical needs of AI deployment.

Project NUSA Adopts an Open Approach and Welcomes International Participation

Project NUSA's governance approach is designed to be open and adaptable, drawing inspiration from AI Verify, a platform launched by Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority.

This approach allows the governance framework to evolve through contributions from different stakeholders rather than depending on a single country or organization.

William emphasized that Project NUSA would not be exclusively owned by Indonesia or Singapore. Instead, it would serve as an open platform for international collaboration.

“This will not belong to Singapore, and it will not belong to Indonesia. We are building it openly, combining the best of what we have and inviting others to think alongside us,” William said.

This principle of openness is expected to enable countries and organizations to contribute to AI governance standards that remain relevant as technology advances.

At the same time, Project NUSA places information security and data sovereignty at the center of its collaborative framework.

Sensitive Data to Remain Within Each Country's Borders

Project NUSA adopts a layered approach to data management to ensure that technological collaboration does not compromise information security or national data sovereignty.

Under this approach, sensitive data remains within each country's sovereign territory, even as AI governance development and technology utilization take place across borders.

This arrangement allows Indonesia and Singapore to build a shared AI ecosystem without requiring all data to be transferred to a single storage location.

The collaboration is also intended to strengthen AI application development through the use of data and knowledge that can be accessed in accordance with agreed security and governance principles.

By bringing together diverse stakeholders and combining the capabilities of both countries, Project NUSA aims to establish an AI collaboration platform that is open, secure, ethical, and respectful of national data sovereignty.

Conclusion

Project NUSA marks a significant step in strengthening Indonesia-Singapore cooperation on AI governance, open data, and technological innovation. By promoting transparency, ethical AI development, and cross-border collaboration while safeguarding sensitive data and national sovereignty, the initiative aims to establish a more secure, inclusive, and internationally relevant AI ecosystem.

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