Nusantara smart city improves quality of life with technology 

Behind the excitement of Indonesia's 79th Independence Day celebrations at the country’s new capital city, Nusantara (IKN) - attended by thousands of high-ranking state officials, foreign guests and watched by millions of people online - there was a team working behind the scenes to ensure that all the individual events ran smoothly. 

Nusantara Command Centre team was responsible for making the inaugural Independence Day celebrations in the new capital city a success. Nusantara Capital Authority's Smart City Chief Project Officer, Oscar Baskoro, is one member of the cross-agency team.  

Oscar said that during the event, the National Cyber and Crypto Agency helped detect cyber threats, while National Military and National Police ensured the security system was running at the highest standard. Ministries helped with preparations and provided next-generation connectivity to broadcast the event online.   

"IKN is a big state project that requires the involvement and responsibility of all elements of the country. Without collaboration, none of this would have been possible."  

Talking to GovInsider, Oscar shared about the team's role in supporting the development of the Indonesia’s future smart city and some of the work that has already taken place. 

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Improving quality of life 

According to Oscar, Nusantara's smart city is designed to be human-centred with the aim of improving the quality of life of its residents.   

He said that technology is being deployed towards promoting better access to services and facilities, creating a safer and cleaner environment, and optimising the effective and efficient use of resources, in accordance with the Nusantara Smart City Blueprint. 

"This is the principle that we emphasise. Not seeing it [technology] as something complicated and requiring sophisticated tools, but rather how it can work and benefit humans," he says.  

Inaugurated by President Joko Widodo in March, the Nusantara Command Centre monitors the construction of Nusantara using sensor-based surveillance and monitoring systems, CCTVs, and digital service integration.   

The CCTV monitoring system in Nusantara uses artificial intelligence (AI) and facial recognition system to ensure the safety of citizens while they are using public spaces. It is operated by a team from the National Police.  

"During Independence Day celebrations, when many important figures come to IKN, these devices were deployed to recognise those identified as criminals and dangerous under the law and prevent them from entering celebration area," Oscar noted.

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IoT supports city management  

Nusantara also uses the Internet of Things (IoT) to support the city's operational needs and pursue low-carbon development targets.

"Early warning sensors for forest fires and floods, along with air quality sensors and smart grids, are connected to the Nusantara Command Centre," said the Nusantara Capital Authority's Director of Green Transformation, Agus Gunawan, in a written statement. 

Sensors in the upper reaches of the rivers will send alerts to the command centre when water level reaches a certain height, and this triggers a potential flooding alert. Sensors have also been placed at 10 hotspots in Nusantara’s forested areas to detect temperature changes that could lead to fires.  

"These systems have played an important role during the Independence Day celebrations and will continue to support decision-making in the Nusantara," Agus added.  

IKNOW as an integrated digital service  

To provide public services, the Nusantara Capital Authority has launched the IKNOW application as an integrated digital service that provides various features such as health services, tourist destinations, the Nusantara map, citizen feedback, and information on the city’s development progress.

In the future, IKNOW features will be expanded to integrate other public services such as education, transport, and tax services.  

"IKNOW is designed as a citizen-centric application rather than a concept that we want, allowing every person in the smart city to benefit [from it] according to their personal and professional needs," Oscar said.   

The app has been downloaded by more than 10,000 people since its launch in January, although not many residents have settled in Nusantara yet. 

Oscar is optimistic that IKNOW users will continue to grow as Nusantara capital city has been open to the public since September 16. People visiting the capital city must register through the IKNOW application.   

In the initial plan, the government has targeted 500,000 residents (including civil servants and their families) to move to the new capital city gradually until 2025. However, the plan was delayed because housing for residents had not been completed, as GovInsider previously reported.   

Oscar revealed that there were challenges when developing the Nusantara smart city app, compared to the SATUSEHAT app he previously developed at the Ministry of Health's Digital Transformation Office (DTO), both in terms of product and scalability.   

However, he said every task must be done well wherever it is as long as it is for the public good.   

Oscar will be speaking at Tech Week Singapore at Marina Bay Sands, on October 10. "I will speak about how to develop a smart city, from a vision to a reality," Oscar said. 

This article was originally published in Bahasa Indonesia