Indonesia Showcases Strategic Projects of Riau Islands and West Java at World Expo 2025 Osaka

Osaka, Japan — Indonesia continues to drive economic transformation, one of which is through international partnerships, as demonstrated in the business forum titled “Regional Infrastructure Investment Opportunities for Economic Transformation”, held at the Indonesia Pavilion, World Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan, on Thursday, 22 May. This forum highlighted sustainable infrastructure investment opportunities in Riau Islands and West Java, and marked a major strategic milestone through the signing of a Joint Venture Agreement between Wiraraja Strategix and GreenBank Corporation for renewable energy development, with an investment value of up to USD 1 billion.

  Indonesia’s Consul General in Osaka, John Tjahjanto Boestami, emphasised the importance of the cooperation achieved through the forum in supporting Indonesia’s economic transformation. “Infrastructure, the green economy, and industrial downstreaming are at the core of our strategy towards the Golden Indonesia 2045 Vision. Today, we witness an important evolution toward more decentralised and multilevel cooperation between Indonesia and Japan,” stated Consul General John.

 Kurniawan Ariadi, Expert Staff to the Minister of National Development Planning for Institutional Relations, Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, underscored the importance of productivity as the key to economic transformation. “We must shift from a low-wage labour economy to a knowledge-based economy grounded in innovation and high-level skills. For that reason, Indonesia’s economic transformation must be cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary,” said Expert Staff Kurniawan Ariadi. He also noted that Indonesia is currently implementing economic transformation through pilot programmes in three provinces: Riau Islands, East Kalimantan, and Bali. In addition, West Java has been selected as a pioneer in future industrial transformation through the development of a smart integrated area. 

Budhiana Kartawijaya, Deputy Executive Head for Cooperation Relations at the Rebana Metropolitan Area Management Agency, elaborated on the investment opportunities in West Java, which is being developed as an integrated investment ecosystem. “We invite you to invest in West Java, a region currently undergoing significant growth. Infrastructure and culture are two sides of the same coin,” he remarked.

A similar invitation to invest was also extended by Joni Hendra Putra, Secretary of the Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Office of Riau Islands Province. “With its Free Trade Zone status and realised investment totalling IDR 47.26 trillion in 2024, the Riau Islands offer tremendous opportunities, particularly in the energy, digital, and industrial estate sectors,” explained Secretary Joni.

This forum stands as tangible evidence of the synergy between the central government, regional authorities, and global partners such as Japan, which serves as a key foundation for inclusive and sustainable economic transformation. “Today’s business forum demonstrates how initiatives from Riau Islands and West Java can be aligned with international partners. When local potential is brought to the global stage through a strategic approach, we are not just promoting our regions — we are collectively shaping Indonesia’s future,” concluded Director of the Indonesia Pavilion, Rosy Wediawaty.