Jakarta, August 8, 2026 – Minister of Creative Economy/Head of the Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf), Teuku Riefky Harsya, attended the grand launching of AKC Library & Cafe in Jakarta. The Minister’s presence reaffirmed the government’s support for the convergence of the culinary and publishing subsectors to create a sustainable creative ecosystem that drives the local economy while strengthening literacy culture among the public.
Minister of Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, speaks with senior Indonesian diplomat and Founder of AKC Library & Cafe, Dino Patti Djalal, during the grand launching of AKC Library & Cafe in Jakarta, Saturday (8/8/2026).
AKC Library & Cafe is a public space with a book club concept and Jakarta’s first foreign policy cafe, initiated by senior Indonesian diplomat Dino Patti Djalal. The venue features a reading area, a discussion space for global issues, and a collection of nonfiction books donated by national figures and diplomats.
“The integration of a reading space and culinary offerings is a fresh innovation that reflects the future of our creative industries. Through such cross-sector collaboration, the added value of local products can increase exponentially, supporting sustainable economic growth,” said Teuku Riefky on Saturday (8/8).
In line with this vision, data from the Ministry of Creative Economy shows that the culinary subsector made the largest contribution to the creative economy, reaching 41.06 percent with a growth rate of 8.44 percent in 2025, while its export value reached US$0.28 billion during the January–April 2026 period. Meanwhile, the publishing subsector contributed 5.35 percent, with a growth rate of 3.00 percent in 2025 and an export value of US$4.47 million during the January–April 2026 period.
The integration of these two subsectors is considered strategic in expanding the public reading space ecosystem, particularly through the adoption of a new business model in the form of library-cafes, which are increasingly gaining popularity among the public. The involvement of diplomats and national figures in the event also marked an important moment for building global partnership networks and developing a book donation collaboration model for literacy communities supported by the Ministry of Creative Economy.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
“We hope that AKC Library & Cafe can become an incubator for creativity where industry players can exchange ideas and create tangible works. The Ministry of Creative Economy will continue to support similar initiatives to expand public access to quality educational spaces,” said Teuku Riefky.
Through this momentum, the Ministry of Creative Economy emphasized the importance of strengthening hexahelix collaboration involving the government, communities, business players, academia, media, and the public, so that the creative economy ecosystem can grow in an increasingly inclusive, adaptive, and implementable manner.
Founder of AKC Library & Cafe, Dino Patti Djalal, explained that the name AKC is an acronym derived from the names of his three children: Alexa, Keanu, and Chloe. The venue was designed as a tranquil space for reading, writing, thinking, and discussing global issues, with a nonfiction book collection sourced from donations by national figures, strategic thinkers, and diplomats.
“My real vision is to make this place a space where young people can come, think, and write. Given that reading and writing are beautiful things, we are here not to make money, but to provide a place where people can find themselves,” said Dino Patti Djalal.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
The launch event was also attended by Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY); Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Sugiono; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Armanatha; Deputy Minister of Environment, Diaz Hendropriyono; and several ambassadors from friendly countries. The Minister of Creative Economy was accompanied by Director of Publishing and Photography at the Ministry of Creative Economy, Iman Santosa, and Minister’s Expert Staff for Strategic and Inter-Institutional Affairs, Gemintang Kejora Mallarangeng.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
