Jakarta, September 21, 2026 – Deputy Minister of Creative Economy/Deputy Head of the Creative Economy Agency (Deputy Minister of Ekraf), Irene Umar, emphasized the importance of positioning the creative economy sector as a new engine of growth for Indonesia. With the presence of the Creative Economy Master Plan (Rindekraf), which covers 21 subsectors, the Deputy Minister said that the creative economy serves as a strategic foundation for optimizing the potential of Indonesia’s creativity and Intellectual Property (IP).
Deputy Minister of Creative Economy/Deputy Head of the Creative Economy Agency (Deputy Minister of Ekraf), Irene Umar, serves as a speaker at the Creative Biztalk session during the Petranesian Business and Education Fair at Galaxy Mall 2, Surabaya, Sunday (20/9/2026).
“We hope that the creative economy will become Indonesia’s new goldmine. Indonesia also has abundant intellectual property and patents whose potential is sought after by the world. Our focus is on marketing them, opening up as many spaces and platforms as possible for people to showcase their work. We are working to connect creative economy practitioners with the market, and that is our focus,” said the Deputy Minister while speaking as a resource person at the Creative Biztalk session during the Petranesian Business and Education Fair at Galaxy Mall 2, Surabaya, Sunday (20/9), which was part of the series of events commemorating the 65th anniversary of Petra Christian University.
Furthermore, Irene explained that exploring ideas in the creative process requires freedom while remaining grounded in ethics and morality. Amid rapid technological developments and the dynamics of digital spaces, creative economy development must be centered on human values and create tangible social impacts for society.
“Being creative means giving ourselves the freedom to do anything without thinking too much about limitations. However, the boundaries are ethics and morality: Is this in line with our character? That is where we become fully human and are able to create,” said Irene.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
Irene also explained that the impact of the creative economy is not solely related to aesthetics. She emphasized the importance of creativity also creating added value.
“The work we produce should not only have aesthetic value, but also create an effective impact on others, and to strengthen it with give humanity a second chance and you will be surprised,” Irene added.
Also attending the event were Rector of Petra Christian University, Prof. Rolly Intan; Chairman of YPTK Petra, Hary Sudjoko Listijo; Vice Treasurer, Lim Arif Alfian Nour; Secretary of the YPTK Petra Supervisory Board, Ajoe Kartika Mastaka; Director of the Office of Institutional Advancement, Meilinda; and Chair of the Organizing Committee for the 65th Anniversary Series of Events of Petra Christian University, Teddy Salim.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
