1. Nongsa Digital Park – Background
Located on the North-Eastern tip of Batam, Nongsa Digital Park (NDP) is developed by Citramas Group to be an ecosystem for the digital economy where digital talents can work, collaborate, and innovate. NDP was inaugurated by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia and Singapore on 20th March 2018. This signified NDP as the ‘Digital Bridge’ between Singapore and Indonesia to grow the digital economy that was identified as a joint growth sector between the two countries during RISING 50 leaders’ retreat in Singapore.
There are currently 6 office buildings that (prior to the COVID outbreak) housed about 1,000 tech talents working for over 100 local and foreign tech companies of various sizes, from startups to multinational companies Apple chose NDP as the location for its 3rd Apple Developer Academy which has been developed in partnership with Cirtramas Group subsidiary, Infinite Studios through the Infinite Learning division of the latter. Infinite Learning provides, under the umbrella of its Vocational Education License, further courses focused on the Digital Economy in collaboration with local and international institutions. For example, its world-class digital animators present in NDP are trained in collaboration with Nanyang Poly and Batam Poly. In July 2020, NDP was officially granted the Special Economic Zone status which is expected to further catalyze the digital and tourism industries in Nongsa. Among the expected benefits:
- Tax incentives, in particular with a focus on Data Centre infrastructure
- Easy access (in/out) for foreigners, longer work permits (Kitas) for the foreign talent required to work in NDP
- Possibility for foreign education institutions to deploy established curriculums to support the growth of Indonesian Talent aspiring at participating in the country’s fastgrowing Digital Economy
A Masterplan, designed by Surbana Jurong, for a large area in Nongsa comprising NDP has been developed and ready to be presented to the public as soon as the current pandemic eases: this will represent a major step towards the establishment of the area as an ideal destination for Digital Economy activities.
Nongsapura Ferry Terminal has been selected by Indonesian Authorities as a dedicated entry point for foreign travelers thanks to its management and facilities that have allowed NDP to stay Covid-free since the beginning of the pandemic. NDP represents an ideal location for Data Centres as will be further explained in Chapter 4
Read more: Data Centre Infrastructure Nongsa Digital Park