Indonesia's Future Capital

As I sit on the tarmac at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport taxiing to the runway, I can't help but reflect on the amazing few days I have been in incredible Indonesia. I've come to Indonesia for work; my company Nova Blue is helping the Indonesian government assess the feasibility of building a Tier 4 national data centre in Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) - Indonesia's next national capital. For those unaware, Indonesia is moving their national capital from the vibrant and dynamic but somewhat overcrowded Jakarta to IKN. Alas, Jakarta is one of the world's great cities falling victim to sea level rises as a result of greenhouse gas-driven global climate change. This rise in sea levels is exacerbated by Jakarta's subsidence into the Java Sea. This double-whammy of geo-climactic challenge is forcing Indonesia's hand, and so the decision was taken by the now-previous Joko Widodo (Jokowi) administration to shift the capital to a fresh location. And rather than shift the capital to another already-established city, Jokowi and his government chose the harder path to walk: to carve a new national capital out of the jungles of beautiful Borneo.

You see, Indonesia is a wonderfully culturally diverse country. Each of Indonesia's islands, of which there are more than a whopping 17000 (!!!) has their own unique and wonderful culture. The major islands are Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Borneo and New Guiney. But Jakarta is in Java, and Java has historically been the dominant cultural centre of gravity for Indonesia's governmental, economic and social development. Jakarta being the centre of Indonesia's focus rightly or wrongly gives Indonesia a Western-Java focus, and those on the other islands have sometimes felt that they have been left behind and forced to work hard to get the attention of the Indonesians in Western Java and Sumatra. This unbalanced the country, the world's 17th largest and by far largest archipelagic nation.

Borneo and East Kalimantan being selected as the new national capital is not a topic of minor importance -- in Indonesia, it is very significant. East Kalimantan is much more geographically central to Indonesia's sprawling archipelago than Jakarta. This acts to bring both geographic and, possibly more importantly, emotional equality to Indonesia's governmental centricity. And importantly, it rebalances a nation that sometimes feels West-Java-centric.

Carving a capital city out of the jungle of Borneo is a challenging endeavour, and not for the faint of heart. When I first heard about the idea, I silently thought to myself that this is simply too ambitious a task. Optimism, no matter how strong, has to give way to realism. And when I first arrived on the site I was there to evaluate and saw nothing but thick jungle and beautiful but abundant eucalyptus trees, my fears seemed to be manifesting themselves right in front of my eyes. This is SURELY too much of a bite to chew.

But then we went to KIPP -- the first phase of the IKN project, and my fears were replaced by awe and amazement. In the shadow of the impressive Garuda-shaped Presidential Palace and amidst the numerous already-completed and fetchingly attractive modern government buildings, monuments, garden paths and even a few cafes, my skepticism faded away. The place was a hive of activity; thousands of workers diligently working to turn the vision of Ibu Kota Nusantara into a realised and existential reality. Heavy lift cranes dotted the skyline; lorries were buzzing about delivering everything from groceries to generators. The Swisshotel was sprouting from the earth like a red flower, promising 5-star stays in this futuristic city. When I managed to catch my breath, I remember saying out loud: "they are doing it". They are doing it. They are building a collective future capital for ALL Indonesians.

Carving a capital city out of the jungle is not for the feint of heart; so it's a good thing that the VERY stout-hearted and industrious Indonesians are the ones doing the do here. They have the vision. They have the plan. And they have shown that they have the strength to get this project done. In two short years (yup -- TWO YEARS!!!), they have turned a hilly, eucalyptus-filled jungle into the start of a well-designed, environmentally contemporary and accessible city for ALL Indonesians.

Indonesia's motto is Bhinneka Tunggal Ika -- Unity in Diversity. IKN stands as stark testimony of this motto.

There is more to do. So much more to do. And hearts will need to remain stout to achieve the end state. But from what I have learned about Indonesians, I now have supreme optimism for their great future. The eyes of the world are on them, and they are up to the challenge.