Jakarta, October 8, 2026 — The Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf) officially launched Creative Hub for App Talent (CHAT) at Tempat Kumpul Kreatif (TKK) in North Jakarta on Thursday (8/10). Carrying the spirit of Learn. Build. Connect. Grow., the program aims to develop regional app developers while accelerating the sustainable digital transformation of products from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Director of Applications at the Ministry of Creative Economy, Tri Wahyudi, attends the launch of Creative Hub for App Talent (CHAT) at Tempat Kumpul Kreatif (TKK), North Jakarta, Thursday (8/10/2026).
Director of Applications at the Ministry of Creative Economy, Tri Wahyudi, explained that CHAT focuses not only on improving programmers’ hard skills but also on developing technological solutions to address real-world challenges faced by creative economy practitioners.
“This digital training is provided to creative economy practitioners in North Jakarta, particularly MSMEs, to help them market their products and increase sales. In addition, the training offers solutions to concerns raised by business owners regarding paid marketplace platforms and taxes,” explained Tri Wahyudi.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
Through the program, 80 participants, comprising university students and MSME practitioners, gained access to learning opportunities, community collaboration, and the development of relevant application products. Head of the North Jakarta Administrative City Industry, Trade, Cooperatives, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Office, Vicky Suryawan Jaya, praised the Ministry of Creative Economy’s concrete efforts to provide inclusive technology support free of charge.
“This is exactly what we need: a program that provides guidance on digital marketing techniques using AI notifications. Technology can be expensive, but the Ministry of Creative Economy is providing this training free of charge to 80 participants. We are therefore grateful to the Ministry for this ongoing collaboration,” said Vicky.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
To ensure a sustainable impact, the Ministry of Creative Economy will provide continued online mentoring until the application products are ready to be implemented in the MSME business ecosystem.
“Our hope is that every participant will be able to develop a product. Therefore, we will continue providing guidance through online training. We also want creative economy practitioners to transform their businesses digitally so that they can keep their businesses running even while they sleep,” said Tri.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
The program’s benefits have been experienced firsthand by Riyan Sohibul Anam, a participant with a programming background. He said CHAT provided practical perspectives that he had not gained at university, particularly in utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to meet the needs of local businesses.
“I’m very happy because I’ve learned many things here that I had not learned at university. With AI developing so rapidly, I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to learn about it for free. Through this training, I aim to build a catalog application for small neighborhood shops, such as ‘Warung Madura’,” said Riyan.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
The CHAT initiative will be replicated periodically across Creative Hubs throughout Indonesia. Through a collaborative approach that connects young talent with MSMEs, the Ministry of Creative Economy is optimistic that the applications subsector can become a driving force for regional economic growth, creating new jobs while enhancing the competitiveness of local products in the digital era.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
