Bandung latest to launch makers centre for startups

By GovInsider

Mayor follows regional trend of innovation hubs.

The Mayor of Bandung will this year launch a unit for startups to experiment with cutting-edge tools.

The Bandung Innovation Centre will have “high-tech and sophisticated equipment like 3D printers, laser cutters, wood-working machines, [and] robotic instruments”, Mayor Ridwan Kamil wrote in a Facebook post.

The facility will also have a co-working space for people to work on creative projects, he added.

Bandung is following the regional trend of governments setting up maker facilities. Singapore has set up an initiative, called the IDA Labs, for startups to develop new technologies and test proofs of concepts.

Since 2014, the government has set up three labs, each targeted to a different part of the community. The first one in the Infocomm Development Authority’s office is aimed at companies to test their products and find new uses in the public sector.

The latest opened in November is for citizens to experiment with maker tools like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and 3D printers. The third one is for technologists, journalists, and designers.

Meanwhile, Jakarta has a co-working space in its new Smart City Lounge where it builds apps with startups. The city is partnering with six startups now, including apps for complaints, public transport, a digital library, food safety, and the city zoo. Civil servants are working directly with makers to build the new public services.