Along with the global expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, data centers have emerged as critical infrastructures that support digital services, economic growth, and technological innovation. As demand for digital storage and computing capacity continues to increase, countries are competing to attract investment in data center development as part of broader efforts to strengthen their positions within the digital economy. The case in Indonesia is particularly interesting, as it is a strategic location to build data centers shaped by a combination of market size, growing digital demand, and the availability of physical space needed for large-scale digital infrastructure. First, Indonesia has a population of over 280 million people and Google, Temasek, and Bain have identified the country as the lead in the digital economy in Southeast Asia by Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) (2025). Second, Indonesia possesses substantial land availability and industrial zones capable of supporting hyperscale data center development, as evidenced by major facilities and planned expansions in Batam, Cikarang, and Karawang (Leni Wandira, 2025). While Singapore remains one of the region’s most technologically advanced economies, its temporary pause on new data center development since 2019 due to land and resource constraints has further increased Indonesia’s attractiveness as an alternative location for investment (Infocomm Media Development Authority, 2022). read more

Whilst the clock shows midnight, the light from your phone catches your face, prompting an AI to check messages and letting Netflix fill the background. Despite the clean impression, this familiar scene correlates to the infrastructure behind every stored file that accounts for up to 85% of the digital sector’s environmental impact (Schien et al., 2013). It rises still to date, yet the digital economy often remains excluded from carbon accounting. Thus, who bears the cost of the cloud’s rising weight, and why does the trade regime ensure they remain invisible? read more

Today, with society’s hyperfixation on standing out yet fitting in, the fashion industry plays a significant role. The vogue today is vintage, and this major comeback includes the phenomenon of reworking old pieces, mixing and matching them with contemporary fashion, or merely enjoying the fit itself. Retailers see this as an opportunity for money, marketing fast fashion dupes, and pre-loveds. With Gen Z who treasures staying on trend with affordable clothing, and the market able to meet this demand, is how thrifting has become a remarkable phenomenon. read more

E-Commerce in Indonesia E-commerce encompasses all purchasing activities involving goods or services conducted through computer networks designed to receive or place orders (WTO, 2023). Introduced to Indonesia in the 1990s the sector expands alongside the growing use of e-wallets that facilitate digital transactions (Yuli & Aisah, 2025). Rapid technology advances accelerate the shift towards online consumption due to its accessibility.  In 2024 the sector reached Rp 1,288.93 trillion (US$74.23 billion), a 17.08 percent increase from 2023 (KEMENDAG, 2025).

E-commerce platforms have also created new market opportunities for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), whose contribution to national employment and economic resilience is substantial (Winanti, 2020b). The Indonesian government, together with regional economic initiatives, has prioritised the integration of MSMEs into global digital commerce and value chains. Such integration requires regulatory adaptation and strong domestic policies (Winanti, 2020b).

The growing dominance of foreign digital platforms has raised concerns regarding data governance, unequal competition, economic sovereignty, and foreign market dependence. The influence of TikTok Shop and Shopee in Indonesia was reflected in a 2023 consumer survey involving 8,700 respondents (Lestari, 2025): Shopee represented 53.22 percent of e-commerce users, while TikTok Shop 27.37 percent. Many products sold through these and other platforms originated from overseas sellers, predominantly China, and were priced significantly lower than domestic goods. Traditional marketplaces and local merchants expressed concerns over predatory pricing practices and of foreign platforms dominating the domestic e-commerce. To address these concerns, Minister of Trade Regulation Number 31/2023 was introduced. This article argues that the Regulation illustrates how Indonesia, as other states in the Global South, increasingly employs neo-mercantilist strategies to govern e-commerce by combining protectionist regulation, selective openness, and conditional market access to preserve economic sovereignty, while remaining engaged with the norms of trade liberalism within the global digital economy. read more

Politik Indonesia hari ini tidak lagi hanya bergerak di ruang-ruang resmi seperti parlemen, istana, kantor partai, atau pengadilan. Politik juga hidup di layar ponsel: dalam video pendek, meme, siaran langsung, baliho digital, potongan pidato, konferensi pers, hingga perang komentar. Di era digital, kekuasaan tidak cukup hanya bekerja melalui perintah dan kebijakan. Kekuasaan juga ingin tampil, dilihat, dipuji, dibagikan, dan menjadi pusat perhatian publik. Di sinilah terjadi pergeseran besar dalam kehidupan politik. Politik yang semestinya menjadi ruang pembahasan serius tentang kepentingan publik sering kali berubah menjadi panggung pencitraan. Kemiskinan dijadikan latar foto. Bantuan sosial diubah menjadi konten. Penderitaan warga dijadikan bahan kampanye. Keberhasilan negara dikemas dalam visual yang megah, sementara persoalan sosial yang lebih rumit justru sering disembunyikan dari layar. read more

President Subianto’s recent call for universities to form dedicated teams to assist local governments in resolving regional problems signals an important moment for Indonesian higher education policy (Tempo, 2026). It reflects a growing institutional recognition that universities are not merely producers of graduates and academic outputs, but strategic civic assets embedded within the communities and territories they serve. This idea resonates strongly with established scholarship and policy practice in the United Kingdom (UK), where place-based research has become a central organising principle for university-community engagement. Rather than simply borrowing the concept, this article asks: what does the UK experience tell us about the conditions that must be in place for place-based research to work, and do those conditions currently exist in Indonesia? read more

Transformasi digital telah mengubah cara produksi, distribusi, dan konsumsi informasi di berbagai sektor, termasuk pertanian. Di Indonesia, pertanian tetap menjadi tulang punggung kehidupan masyarakat. Sensus Pertanian 2023 mencatat ada 29,36 juta penduduk yang bekerja di sektor ini dengan 28,19 juta unit usaha pertanian (BPS, 2023). Dari jumlah tersebut, sekitar 24% pelaku usaha adalah perempuan, baik sebagai pengelola maupun pekerja keluarga.

Meski kontribusi perempuan signifikan, akses mereka terhadap pelatihan, teknologi, dan pengambilan keputusan masih terbatas. Diskursus gender menunjukkan perempuan kerap hanya terlibat pada tahap produksi, sementara akses terhadap modal, teknologi, dan pemasaran lebih banyak dikuasai laki-laki (Puspitawati et al., 2020). Perempuan memiliki peran kuat dalam usaha tani skala kecil, tetapi adopsi inovasi berbasis teknologi masih belum optimal karena dukungan sosial dan faktor struktural lainnya (Anastana, Hariadi, & Kriska, 2021). read more

Pendahuluan

Transformasi digital telah mendorong lahirnya model ekonomi platform yang mempertemukan penyedia jasa dan konsumen melalui aplikasi berbasis data. Di Indonesia, salah satu aktor utama dalam perkembangan ini adalah Gojek, yang berkembang sebagai pionir layanan transportasi daring dan terintegrasi dengan berbagai layanan lain seperti pesan-antar makanan, logistik, dan pembayaran digital. Dalam struktur korporasi digital GoTo, jutaan mitra pengemudi berpartisipasi dalam sistem kerja berbasis aplikasi yang dinamis, menjadikan Gojek bagian penting dari ekosistem ekonomi digital nasional. Artikel ini menyusun kembali diskursus mengenai paguyuban pengemudi mitra sebagai ruang partisipasi dan representasi sosial dalam ekonomi platform dengan menggunakan perspektif demokrasi partisipatoris dan deliberatif. read more

E-Governance telah menjadi instrumen utama modernisasi tata kelola negara dengan memanfaatkan teknologi digital untuk memperkuat transparansi, akuntabilitas, dan efisiensi birokrasi, sembari menjamin hak warga atas informasi serta partisipasi publik. Regulasi nasional maupun internasional mendorong keterbukaan data, sementara Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) berfungsi sebagai instrumen tata kelola kolaboratif yang mencerminkan pergeseran dari model birokratis hirarkis menuju governance berbasis jejaring. Heywood (2014) menyebut fenomena ini sebagai bagian dari “perancangan kembali” pemerintahan, di mana negara tidak lagi semata penyedia layanan langsung, melainkan fasilitator yang memberdayakan masyarakat atau menetapkan aturan umum. Namun, modernisasi yang cepat, responsif dan efisien ini menimbulkan pertanyaan mendasar: apakah keterbukaan digital sungguh menjamin transparansi substantif, atau justru menciptakan ilusi partisipatif? Apakah MoU menjadi instrumen demokratisasi atau sekadar legitimasi kekuasaan? read more

Tren digital yang mendominasi konsumsi publik hari ini adalah konten komedi satire atau juga disebut ‘tepi jurang’. Fenomena ini muncul dari tiga pemicu krusial: kemudahan mengakses fitur media sosial, maraknya stand-up comedy di Indonesia, dan pembatasan ekspresi dalam UU ITE. Kombinasi inilah yang mendorong maraknya kritik tersirat terhadap pemerintah dan aktor politik melalui komedi satire.

Dalam melihat tren ini, perlu menggarisbawahi bagaimana ruang publik digital memainkan peran penting dalam partisipasi politik publik. Teknologi primer dan partisipasi politik menunjukkan hubungan yang kuat di antara keduanya (Buchstein, 1997). Dalam ruang publik digital masyarakat mendapatkan ruang untuk berekspresi dengan melontarkan kreativitas, ide, gagasan, dan kritik. Kehadiran internet dan media sosial menyediakan aksesibilitas untuk menghubungkan orang-orang dari berbagai latar belakang untuk menyalurkan wacana, ekspresi, serta terlibat diskusi pada ranah sosial dan politik (Papacharissi, 2002). read more