Heaptalk, Jakarta — DesktopIP and Maju Maritim Indonesia (MMI) launched the Maritime Digital Infrastructure (MDI) in Serang Regency, Banten Province, on Monday (09/30).
As a pioneer of national cloud infrastructure consistently promoting digitalization in Indonesia, DesktopIP partnered with MMI to launch the Maritime Digital Infrastructure (MDI) to address the challenges in the maritime industry. The launch of this locally developed platform is also claimed to mark a new chapter for the maritime sector in the country. MDI is expected to help shipyards achieve efficiency and effectiveness, create data security, and assist industry players in adopting the latest technology at more affordable investment levels.
Opening the launch event, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko welcomed MDI’s presence. He praised this initiative, led by Phidi Soepangkat, an Indonesian who has long resided in the U.S., through his company DesktopIP in collaboration with MMI. “With MDI, the potential of Indonesia’s maritime sector can be well-managed,” Moeldoko said in Serang (09/30).
Indonesia’s coastline is 108,000 kilometers long, covering 6.4 million square kilometers of sea, and vast mineral resources lie beneath its beautiful surface. Moeldoko explained, “If this potential is not managed properly, we will fall behind. Especially in 2022, the tax revenue from our maritime sector was 15%, while the GDP income was only 10.07 million. This needs to be increased further.”
Moeldoko continued that MDI is one of the efforts to boost revenue from the maritime sector. It aligns with Indonesia’s fifth maritime axis pillar, promoting maritime infrastructure and connectivity through digital-based sea tolls and the shipping industry. In conclusion, Moeldoko called for the collaboration to be successful. “This is something new, and we hope it can transform something ordinary into something extraordinary,” Moeldoko said.
The embodiment of Sea Toll concept
Mochammad Abdurachman N. (Dhany), Director of Maju Maritim Indonesia (MMI), said that MDI is part of MMI’s support for Industry 4.0 in Indonesia. “The presence of MDI makes MMI a shipyard company that relies on technology to strengthen its competitiveness at both the national and international levels,” Dhany said.
Dhany also mentioned that this technology can address the challenges faced in the shipbuilding industry. He elaborated, “These challenges include risks during technology integration, uneven digital infrastructure, high investment costs, and a lack of skill development, which has hindered the full potential of digitalization in the industry.”
The shipbuilding sector is vital to the maritime industry due to its comprehensive role, from building ships to their repair and maintenance. This role makes the shipbuilding industry one of the driving forces behind the embodiment of the Sea Toll concept initiated by President Joko Widodo. “Therefore, efforts to enhance digital transformation in the shipbuilding industry must be undertaken to maximize the nation’s geographical potential, one of which is through MDI,” Dhany stated.
Digitalizing shipbuilding sector
On the other hand, Phidi Soepangkat, CEO & Founder of DesktopIP, said that MDI was born from advice given by his father. “My father once said, ‘Help and build your nation, no matter where you are.’ While working abroad in technology, I always remembered this message. With that in mind, I wanted Indonesia to have its technological products. Hence, I returned and built DesktopIP,” Phidi explained.
Phidi further emphasized, “Shipbuilding is at the heart of the maritime industry regarding ship construction and innovation. It can be said that the starting point of the maritime industry is shipbuilding. Similarly, the foundation of Industry 4.0 is cloud computing.”
“MDI is a digital infrastructure developed by Indonesians, with technology achieving a Domestic Component Level (TKDN) score of over 80%. The platform also allows companies to convert their Capital Expenditure (Capex) into Operating Expenses (Opex), thus addressing investment challenges,” Phidi explained.
Phidi noted that the MDI platform will continue to be developed to promote digitalization in shipbuilding and the broader maritime sector. DesktopIP is conducting comprehensive research and development to ensure that MDI can operate in areas with limited internet capacity, overcoming challenges often faced by industry players.
According to Phidi, the launch of the MDI platform is tangible proof that Indonesia can independently create cutting-edge technology. “Through the launch of MDI, we have also successfully dispelled the global skepticism regarding Indonesia’s ability to develop advanced technologies,” Phidi concluded.
