Jakarta, October 9, 2026 – The Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf), through the Directorate of Technology Creativity, is accelerating post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction in Padang City through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based technological innovation. In collaboration with the Padang City Government, the Ministry deployed a team from October 5–7, 2026, to map vital infrastructure and affected economic activity centers, generating precise data to help determine regional response priorities.
The Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf) team, through the Directorate of Technology Creativity, maps vital infrastructure and economic activity centers in Padang City, West Sumatra, Monday (5/10/2026).
The three-day technical survey covered strategic infrastructure, including the Gunung Nago Bridge and Irrigation Canal, Kalawi Bridge, Lubuk Minturun Dam, the Batu Busuk agricultural area, as well as the Padang City Hall and Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) complex. Director of Technology Creativity at the Ministry of Creative Economy, Dandy Yudha Feryawan, emphasized that the initiative represents the Ministry’s commitment to recovery efforts based on actual needs on the ground.
“This activity is part of the Ekraf Peduli Program, which ensures that the support provided goes beyond technology and is grounded in the real challenges faced by communities and regional governments. Through this mapping initiative, we hope to provide a clearer picture and more detailed data on rehabilitation and reconstruction conditions and needs at each location, helping regional governments identify areas requiring attention and further action,” said Dandy Yudha Feryawan.
Head of the Padang City Communication and Informatics Office, Tommy TRD, welcomed the cross-sectoral initiative. The collaboration involves the Padang City Communication and Informatics Office and the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) as ecosystem coordinators, with technical assistance from the Public Works Office and the Agriculture Office for infrastructure and productive land clusters.
“We welcome this mapping initiative. Regional agencies are directly involved according to their respective authorities to ensure that the data accurately reflects conditions on the ground. The resulting information will help us identify response priorities in affected areas,” said Tommy.
As part of its commitment to developing the national creative economy ecosystem, the Ministry of Creative Economy is collaborating with Niriksagara, the startup that won the 2025 Ekraftech Innovation Challenge and specializes in AI-based infrastructure mapping and geospatial intelligence. The initiative also serves as a field test of the reliability of Indonesian-developed technology in emergency response and reconstruction efforts.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
Niriksagara won the 2025 Ekraftech Innovation Challenge, an event that identifies and curates technological innovations with the potential to be developed and applied to address real-world needs. Niriksagara Co-Founder Fransiscus Leonardo Siahaan said that the activity in Padang provided an opportunity to test the company’s mapping technology under actual field conditions.
“Through this activity, we can directly observe conditions on the ground and collect documentation in the form of photographs, videos, and drone aerial imagery at each location. We will process this data using AI, computer vision, and geospatial intelligence to provide the Padang City Government with a clear picture of current conditions and response needs. We are also open to coordinating with relevant agencies if additional data is required,” explained Fransiscus.
This approach also serves as a Proof of Concept (PoC) to assess the application of the technology in real-world post-disaster response. The results are not intended to replace planning processes or the authority of regional governments, but are expected to provide additional information and perspectives that can inform decisions on post-disaster response measures in Sumatra.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
During a coordination meeting held on October 7, 2026, Padang City Expert Staff for Government, Legal, and Political Affairs, Raf Indria, requested that the findings from the Ministry of Creative Economy and Niriksagara be followed up by the relevant regional agencies.
“We hope these findings can be examined further and followed up by each relevant agency. If the Niriksagara team requires additional data, we are ready to assist so that the information obtained can be as comprehensive as possible,” said Raf Indria.
The mapping results in Padang City will serve as input for further analysis and discussions with the Padang City Government and relevant stakeholders. The information is expected to help identify rehabilitation and reconstruction needs and priorities, while also providing insights into how technological innovations developed by Indonesian startups can support a more responsive, data-driven approach to post-disaster recovery that takes regional characteristics into account. #SumateraBangkit
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
