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Indonesian Ministry of Industry held the Indonesia 4.0 Conference & Expo 2021 online from  August 18 to 20, 2021. Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said in a written statement, Thursday (19/8) that this event could be a venue for showing the world about the capabilities of manufacturing sector and other sectors in Indonesia to transform to industry 4.0.

The Indonesia 4.0 Conference & Expo 2021 was organised  by the Industrial Services Policy and Standardization Agency of the Ministry of Industry. It was held to coincide with the celebration of the 76th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia. Thus, according to the Minister of Industry, this event is also the right momentum to continue to improve national unity and integrity through collaboration towards Indonesia 4.0. In accordance with the theme of this year's celebration, 'Indonesia Resilient, Indonesia Grows', it is hoped that the manufacturing industry sector will be independent, sovereign, advanced, just and inclusive. He added that the implementation of Making Indonesia 4.0 would be able to encourage the growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) by 1-2 percent per year. Thus, it will increase from the baseline of 5 percent to 6-7 percent in the period 2021-2030.

The Indonesia 4.0 Conference & Expo 2021 is also intended to be a forum to strengthen networks between policy makers, industry players, technology providers and academics. In this activity they can share ideas and research results related to the latest technology and solutions as a formula to support the acceleration of industrial transformation in Indonesia.

The Head of the Standardization and Industrial Services Policy Agency of the Ministry of Industry, Doddy Rahadi, said that the acceleration of the transformation of industry 4.0 in Indonesia is one of the government's efforts to restore the national economy. Synergy and collaboration between parties in the industrial 4.0 ecosystem in Indonesia is very important in order to accelerate the transformation process of Industry 4.0. These parties include the government, industry players/associations, universities, academics and R&D institutions, technology providers, consultants, and financial players.

Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara is famous for its unique culture. In this region, there is a war dance called ‘Tua Reta Lou dance’. This traditional dance has existed since the 10th generation and is known from generation to generation. Tua Reta Lou is a traditional dance from Hewokloang-Seusina Raya village, covering Hewokloang, He'o, and Kewa villages, Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.

This dance depicts fighting techniques and how their ancestors at that time defeated their opponents, by using a stick of bamboo. The dance consists of 3 combined dances, namely Awi Alu, Mage Mot and Tua Reta Lou dance. The dance was danced in succession by a dozen male and female dancers. Usually, the dancers will be accompanied by the beat of the rhythm of the gong waning with various types of strokes. The three dances are related to the agility of war that must be owned by every man.

The Awi Alu dance describes lower body agility training. At this stage, the dancers jump between wooden or bamboo sticks that are bumped by other dancers.  Then, the Mage Mot dance is intended to train upper body agility. In the Mage Mot dance, the stick is placed parallel to the neck. The last one is that the dance of Tua Reta Lou demonstrates one’s snooping skills. In this session, a male dancer complete with his sword is raised to a bamboo pole by his friends. The dancer rests on the end of the pole with his stomach. He turns in all directions as if he is monitoring the situation while several female dancers dance around them.

Indonesia's Competitiveness Ranking in 2021 slightly increased from its position compared in 2020, which was ranked 40. The 2021 World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) survey conducted by the Institute Management Development (IMD) puts Indonesia's competitiveness at 37th out of a total of 64 countries recorded. The survey in Indonesia was carried out by the Management Institute of the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia, which has  acted as IMD's partner in Indonesia over the last five years.

According to the Management Institute, the results of the ranking assessment are based on a data analysis on Indonesia's economic performance until 2020 and the assessment of business actors regarding the perception of the business environment they are facing. Meanwhile, the competitiveness assessment method is based on the assessment of 4 main components including, Economic Performance, Government Efficiency, Business Efficiency, and Infrastructure.

The survey results show that there is an increase in Indonesia's ranking on the components of government and business efficiency. The government's efficiency rating has increased from 31st in 2020 to 26th in 2021. It is stated that the public financial policy factor, which is quite effective in responding to pandemic conditions, is a component that supports this rating increase.

Meanwhile, the business efficiency component increased from 31st in 2020 to 25th in 2021 due to optimism for future business transformation.

However, unlike the efficiency of government and business, the performance of the economy and infrastructure has decreased. Indonesia's economic performance ranking in 2021 is at position 35th, a decrease compared to 2020  which was at position 26th. The downgrade is driven by labor conditions, international trade, and domestic price levels. Indonesia's infrastructure ranking has also shifted from position 55th in 2020 to position 57th in 2021, due to the readiness factor for health and education infrastructure in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a significant impact on the decline in economic and infrastructure performance which is an important component in the assessment of competitiveness rankings. Hopefully, the well-managed handling of Covid-19, especially the acceleration of vaccination which is being carried out by the  government, will be able to make Indonesia's competitiveness ranking improved this year. Even so, it will be better next year.

The Indonesian Embassy in Paris promoted a t-shirt with an exclusive design in commemorating the 76th Anniversary of Indonesian Independence in Paris, France on Tuesday (17/8). The sale of the exclusive t-shirt also enlivened the Merci concept store in Paris. For a whole month, various Indonesian creative products filled the huts and shelves of Merci Stores in Paris in a promotion entitled "Merci Beyond Bali". The presence of Indonesian products at Merci shows that even amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the resilient Indonesian people continue to work to grow and recover from the impact of the pandemic. In commemorating Indonesia's independence, on August 17, 2021, the Merci store launched a t-shirt with a special design that was sold exclusively and limitedly. The T-shirt design features the logo of the spirit of the 76th anniversary of Indonesian Independence, namely “Indonesia Resilient, Indonesia Growing” combined with the feel of summer in Paris.

Oxford City Council in collaboration with the Indonesian Embassy in London, the Indonesian diasporas and students held 'Indonesia in Oxford 2021.' The event to strengthen Indonesia-UK cultural relations was held in Oxford City, England, Saturday (21/8).  The event themed 'A Day of Inspirations & amp; The Opportunities' offered gamelan workshops, learning Indonesian for foreign speakers and demonstrations of Indonesian cuisine for British people living in Oxford and its surrounding area. Indonesian Ambassador to the UK, Ireland and IMO, Desra Percaya explained that Indonesia's presence in Oxford City is of strategic value, considering that Oxford is one of the most important and historic cities in the UK, as well as one of the world's academic centers.