Russia, October 15, 2025 – Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar attended as a panelist at the Russian International Creative Seasons (RICS) 2025 in Russia. The Deputy Minister's presence signifies Indonesia's commitment to strengthening the creative economy as a diplomatic tool and fostering global collaboration among BRICS nations.
Doc. International Conference on Creative Economy 2025 – Deputy Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar, served as a panelist at the Russian International Creative Seasons (RICS) 2025, held at the Manege Central Exhibition Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday (October 8, 2025).
"The creative economy is the new engine of growth that creates innovation and economic value from ideas and creativity. Each creative economy sub-sector becomes a primary driver of a country's economic growth based on its creative assets or products, each with its own strengths," said the Deputy Minister of Creative Economy during the panel session "RICS for BRICS: Building New Products for the Global Market," which took place at the Manege Central Exhibition Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
The Deputy Minister supports RICS 2025 as a strategic event that encourages collaboration between countries in discussing and implementing global agendas, especially economic cooperation. This international conference series serves as a platform for introducing and strengthening the creative economies of each country, as well as a forum for broader cooperation within the BRICS framework (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and other nations).
She further explained that this conference can foster the exchange of creative ideas, strengthen collaboration, and accelerate investment in the global creative economy projection until 2050.
The RICS Conference is a forum and international conference on the creative economy that took place on October 8-9, organized by the Agency of Strategic Initiatives (Russia) and the St. Petersburg City Administration. In addition to the conference, the series of activities included a business mission, side events, accelerators, and thematic sessions discussing strategic topics such as global vision 2050, artificial intelligence and creative industries, strengthening intellectual property rights, and the development of creative education and infrastructure.
"Speaking of digital assets and character IPs, each has the potential to be commercialized and become key to globalizing products, as long as they are licensed. We want to ensure that Indonesia's creative economy is at the forefront, not just because of numbers or transactions, but through the interconnectedness of creative talents that continue to drive the industry forward," added the Deputy Minister of Creative Economy.
Doc. Communication Bureau of Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
During the discussion, the Deputy Minister also highlighted globally recognized Indonesian IPs such as Machine56 and the animated film Jumbo, which exemplify unique and creative local innovations. According to her, the creative economy also serves as a soft diplomacy tool that allows nations to better understand each other’s cultures. She further invited participants to attend the Friends of Creative Economy (FCE) Meeting 2025 and the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) 2026 in Solo, Indonesia.
The Special Advisor to the President for Creative Economy, Yovie Widianto, who also attended the RICS Conference 2025, assessed that Indonesia's participation in this conference signifies the government's strong commitment to advancing the national creative industry and expanding its reach in global markets.
"The creative economy contributes around seven percent to the total national GDP with a rapidly increasing trend or growth. Culinary, fashion, and crafts are among the most popular creative economy sub-sectors in Indonesia, with the fastest-growing sub-sectors being film, animation, applications, games, and music, which can be enjoyed on a global scale. We are ready to realize international synergy projects that combine creation with captivating and cutting-edge innovation," said Yovie Widianto.
During the first day of her visit to Russia, Deputy Minister Irene also attended the opening of the Grand Plenary Session, a meeting with the Vice Minister of Creativity and The Orange Economy, Felipe Buitrago, and a meeting with the Deputy Minister of The Moscow Government and General Director of the Agency for Creative Industries, Gyulnara Agamova. The Ministry of Creative Economy is committed to developing international networks by creating collaboration opportunities across countries and sectors, paving the way for innovative breakthroughs to address the dynamics of the global creative industry.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Acting Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency
