Jakarta, February 4, 2026— The Indonesian Business Council (IBC) held the Indonesian Economic Summit (IES) 2026 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta, on February 3–4, 2026. The IES was a strategic forum attended by delegates and speakers from 53 countries, bringing together government leaders, business leaders, global investors, academics, and international partners. The IES affirmed Indonesia’s long-term economic development direction, which relies on improving investment quality, strengthening human resources, and accelerating the transition to competitive green growth, while strengthening Indonesia’s position as a growth center and a major investment destination in the region.
The series of discussions involved key figures from various countries, including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Airlangga Hartarto, Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD) Abdullah Saleh Kamel, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion and Economic Development of Canada (2018 – 2025) Mary Ng, and Australia’s Special Envoy to Southeast Asia Nicholas Moore AO, placing quality investment as a key pillar in strengthening Indonesia’s competitiveness and economic resilience. The focus is on the importance of regulatory certainty, project feasibility, and alignment with industrial policy to enable Indonesia to attract long-term, value-added investment with a tangible impact on the national economy. Sustainability, encompassing the management of water resources, energy, and natural systems, has become a core economic issue underpinning productivity, resilience, and long-term growth.
Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Indonesia for Climate and Energy, Hashim DjojohadikusumoHe stated, “Indonesia’s vision for the future is to become a relevant and competitive global green power. By aligning the decarbonization of downstream industries with the protection of natural systems, Indonesia positions sustainability as a key driver of long-term economic growth. This approach emphasizes that the green transition is not a burden on development, but rather a source of Indonesia’s strategic advantage in the global economic order.”
Commitment to efforts to encourage national economic growth and resilience was also emphasized. Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Indonesian Business Council, Arsjad Rasjid, stated, “Indonesia’s investment strategy must rest on three main foundations: certainty, capital, and capability. By strengthening governance and market credibility, while mobilizing the right mix of public and private investment, Indonesia can convert global interest into higher productivity, the creation of quality jobs, and sustainable long-term competitiveness.”
The strategic role of human resources is a crucial factor in ensuring that economic growth generates inclusive, sustainable benefits. Indonesia’s future challenge lies not only in maintaining growth rates but also in ensuring it can drive increased productivity and workforce quality.
The creation of productive, formal, and value-added jobs requires strong policy coordination across sectors, particularly between workforce skills development, investment policy direction, and technology utilization. With this approach, Indonesia’s economic transformation is expected to strengthen the position of the national workforce in global value chains while supporting sustainable long-term growth.
Chief Operating Officer Indonesian Business Council, William Sabandar, added, “Quality economic growth can only be achieved if investment is consistently directed toward strengthening human resource capacity. Indonesia needs an ecosystem capable of aligning talent development, industry needs, and the economic transformation agenda, so that growth is reflected not only in numbers but also in increased productivity, job quality, and competitiveness.” Concluding the Indonesia Economic Summit 2026 series, the forum affirmed its commitment as a strategic platform for aligning public policy direction with business needs.
Through open, evidence-based dialogue, IES 2026 strengthens Indonesia’s position on the global economic map as a credible, competitive, and sustainable long-term investment destination.