Jakarta, INTI - Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), in collaboration with Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and NVIDIA, officially launched the UGM Indosat NVIDIA AI Technology Center at GIK UGM on Thursday, August 13, 2026.
This technology center is part of an effort to build a national AI ecosystem, ensuring Indonesia evolves from a mere user into a nation capable of developing AI innovations and talent to meet domestic needs.
Rector of UGM, Prof. Dr. Ova Emilia, stated that UGM has been committed to optimizing AI utilization since 2023 through the development of the UGM AI Society and various research initiatives spanning education, health, agriculture, and pandemic management.
Ova explained that several research outcomes have been transformed into practical solutions, such as disaster management applications, data-driven analysis and decision-making platforms, and smart agriculture technologies integrating IoT, cloud computing, and AI.
Indosat and NVIDIA on Indonesia’s Potential
Vikram Sinha, President Director and CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, believes Indonesia holds immense potential to become an AI innovator, driven by strong talent. He noted that the primary challenge is not a lack of talent, but rather the equitable distribution of opportunities to develop skills. Consequently, investing in human resources and leveraging AI to boost productivity across various sectors is crucial.
Marc Hamilton, Vice President of Solutions Architecture and Engineering NVIDIA, emphasized the importance of AI Factory infrastructure in accelerating technological development. He noted that while Indonesia has over 500,000 software developers registered on GitHub, AI development requires access to more robust computing infrastructure. The AI Technology Center is expected to expand this access for students, universities, and companies across Indonesia.
The Government Urges National AI Development
Stella Christie, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, highlighted the importance of data sovereignty in AI development. She urged the UGM AI center to set clear targets and produce solutions that genuinely address Indonesia's needs, rather than simply creating prototypes. She also emphasized the need for universities to anticipate technological advancements and prepare human resources to navigate these changes.
Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, stated that UGM was selected following an assessment of several universities, as it demonstrated a strong commitment, high-quality research, and robust innovation capabilities. The AI Technology Center is part of the Indonesia AI Center of Excellence initiative, led by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs with support from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.
Meutya added that collaboration among the government, universities, industry, and technology companies is essential to strengthening national AI capabilities. Infrastructure management is also being directed toward a sovereign cloud approach to ensure that data and computing centers remain within Indonesian jurisdiction.
Meutya added that the success of the AI center must be measured by the enhancement of talent competencies, the adoption of solutions by the public and industry, and the generation of innovations and intellectual property developed in Indonesia.
Conclusion
UGM, in collaboration with Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and NVIDIA, has officially launched the UGM Indosat NVIDIA AI Technology Center at GIK UGM as part of efforts to strengthen the national AI ecosystem. This technology center aims to develop AI talent, research, infrastructure, and solutions that address Indonesia's needs, leveraging UGM's experience in AI research across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, and disaster management.
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