Jakarta. State-owned telecommunications service provider Telkom Indonesia said it has initiated and prioritized talent development and digital ecosystem development programs to address growing demand for talent and digital innovation in the archipelago.

"We're still short on digital talent when it's an important factor in digital development, alongside infrastructure, regulations and users. It's time for Indonesia to become a key player in the digital sphere and not just a consumer," Ery Punta, executive general manager of Telkom's digital service division, said at Forbes Indonesia's Digital Conference 2018 in Jakarta on Monday (01/10).

The need for digital talent was echoed in a 2017 survey by McKinsey of large tech companies in Indonesia. The survey found a gap in digital tech competencies among human resources. In the banking sector, 65 percent of respondents said they are dissatisfied with their employees' digital competency.

"This means that only 39 percent are satisfied with their employees' digital competency. At Telkom, we are not only looking for tech-savvy digital talent, but someone that brings the digital sphere into their daily lives," Ery said.

The survey also showed that Indonesian startups are still behind countries like the United States and Singapore. There are about 100 startups for every million people in Singapore, while it is 6.2 in Malaysia, 4.9 in Taiwan, 1.5 in India, 0.9 in Thailand and only 0.6 in Indonesia.

To bridge this gap in Indonesia, Telkom has initiated a startup ecosystem program "Indigo Creative Nation." The program involves five phases of development: nurturing creativity, talent scouting, incubation, acceleration and commerce.

For each phase, Telkom has prepared facilities, such as creative camps in 18 locations across Indonesia, and one creative center each in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Makassar.

"One of the main targets in the startup ecosystem development program is to help Indonesia catch up with other countries," Ery said.

"We have a lot of young people well-equipped for the tech industry, but most of them choose to move abroad and work in other countries."

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