An adaptive mindset has been identified as a key aspect in facing technological transformation, as experts gather to discuss the effect of digital technology on businesses at GDP Venture's innovation conference ICON 2018 under the motto “Transform Now”.

Opening the conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, GDP Venture chief executive officer Martin Hartono said the right mindset set the pace for achieving breakthroughs and innovation in business and technology. 

Speaking of his early career, Martin said he had started working at the information technology (IT) department in his family business. However, at the time he renamed the department “business technology”, in reference to its fundamental role, a label that subsequently spurred innovative solutions and pushed growth.

Now, the CEO applies the same drive and mindset to investments of GDP Venture, a business that focuses on Indonesia’s internet industry across different sectors, including e-commerce platforms and media, such as Blibli and DailySocial.net. He further added that technological progress also afforded companies greater flexibility to branch out and grow across different sectors.

“There’s no limit once you have established the correct mindset,” Martin said in his opening remarks. 

Founded in 2010, GDP Venture aims to create a healthy ecosystem for digital companies, supported by so-called techpreneurs and engineers as well as product and marketing experts; a mission extended to its conference. Gathering speakers from 15 businesses and digital technology experts, the event served as a platform to address opportunities and challenges in the face of digital transformation.

Read also: Human resources must adapt to face Industry 4.0: Experts 

Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara, delivering a keynote speech at the conference’s opening ceremony, said it was the mindset that pushed transformation, a step then followed by technological development necessitated by the search for tools to support advancement. 

“What puts us ahead is when the mindset places us ahead of the curve, rather than catching up,” Rudiantara said in his remarks.

In adapting to the digital transformation and ensuring nationwide exposure, Rudiantara said the government’s role had evolved to push for development across the country and the business landscape. Previously exclusively overseeing policymaking and acting as a regulator, the government has since become a facilitator of the digital economy through infrastructure development and capacity-building, including investing in efforts to nurture digital talent and digital businesses. 

Armand Hartono, deputy president director at private lender Bank Central Asia (BCA), added a practical perspective, noting the effects of technology and how a digital platform for banking had multiplied the number of customers and diversified job opportunities.  

“The composition of our employees has transformed; where there were more employees overseeing physical aspects of transactions, now there are more working on technologies,” Armand said. 

Despite the digital transformation, however, Armand highlighted that the core remained the same, in that it was still a business, while technology provided complimentary tools.

“The digital economy, in the end, is still a business, that’s what needs to be remembered,” he said. (wng)

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