Jakarta partners with Tokopedia, Gojek, Grab, others in smart city push

Indonesian ecommerce unicorn Tokopedia, along with super apps Gojek, Grab, and five other startups, have signed a partnership with the Jakarta government to accelerate the development of the capital’s smart city project.

Photo credit: Tokopedia

In a press statement, Tokopedia announced its recent position as the government’s economic partner. The company will train small and medium-sized enterprises to prepare them to compete and contribute to the economy in the digital age.

“This collaboration aims to invite tech companies like Tokopedia to encourage digitalization in Indonesia in the business and public service sectors. This partnership opens opportunities for citizens to be digitally integrated into various sectors, so they can benefit from online services, such as accessing public services or starting a business,” said Jakarta’s governor, Anies Baswedan, in an official statement issued by Tokopedia.

Besides Tokopedia, the government also appointed two other ecommerce giants – Bukalapak and Shopee – as partners to create a “smart economy” in Jakarta, local media reported.

The government is also working with Gojek and Grab to accelerate a safe and integrated transportation system through a smart mobility program. As part of the partnership, the two platforms will set specific pickup points for customers in public facilities and tourist destinations.

Gojek will further integrate a column dedicated to the government’s official tourism portal, Enjoy Jakarta, allowing users to book tickets to various tourist attractions and events in the capital.

As part of this major collaboration, Jakarta’s government will also cooperate with Nodeflux, an emerging startup focusing on AI. The Nodeflux technology will be used to detect license plates for taxpayers who have not fulfilled their tax obligations.

Another startup that will take part in this plan is Botika. The company’s flagship chatbot assistant, called Jakarta Virtual Assistant (Javira), will gather and relay public complaints and comments about daily problems in the city.

Jakarta’s government is also partnering with the e-payment solution provider Duithape to collect and distribute social donations in the capital.

The smart city concept has been adopted by Jakarta’s provincial government since 2014. The concept has six main pillars, namely smart governance, smart people, smart living, smart mobility, smart economy, and smart environment. With a series of programs and partnerships, Jakarta is projected to fully transform into a smart city before 2025.

This report was first published on KrAsia.