Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Creative Economy Ministry is partnering with the Indonesia Open Network (ION) to expand global market access for local creative products and boost the competitiveness of the country’s creative sector.Deputy Creative Economy Minister Irene Umar said technology integration could strengthen business infrastructure while raising the economic value and global competitiveness of Indonesian creative works.“Partnering with ION is important for expanding broader, more inclusive digital-market access for Indonesian creators,” Irene said in a statement on Thursday.The partnership will focus on market access, digital marketing, cross-border trade, financing, intellectual property protection, and artificial intelligence integration.Irene noted that ION’s open-network ecosystem supports digitalization while reinforcing intellectual property safeguards for creative entrepreneurs. The government plans to establish a joint working group to explore additional areas of cooperation.She stressed that stronger digital infrastructure must be paired with enhanced business capacity so entrepreneurs can use technology effectively.“The biggest challenge is building business capacity to adapt effectively, allowing this fair and sustainable collaboration to take effect soon,” Irene said.Investment in the creative economy reached 183.01 trillion rupiah ($11.1 billion) in 2025, according to Statistics Indonesia data analyzed by the ministry. Creative exports totaled $31.94 billion, employing 27.4 million people across 21 subsectors.ION was developed through collaboration between the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs as part of an India-Indonesia digital cooperation initiative.The infrastructure is designed to integrate applications and services supporting digital market access, logistics, payments, financing, insurance, skills development, and AI-driven trade.