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Digital Hub BSD City starts construction of tech-oriented Knowledge Hub
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From left) Sinar Mas Land strategic land bank CEO Christopher Siswanto Adisaputro, Sinar Mas Land asset management CEO Teky Mailoa, Tangerang Regent A. Zaki Iskandar, Communication and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate, Sinar Mas managing director Saleh Husin and Sinar Mas Land president office managing director Dhony Rahajoe.
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riven by the rapid adoption of technology in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, property developer Sinar Mas Land has started construction of the Knowledge Hub office building in the Digital Hub BSD City tech-focused commercial area.
Positioned as Indonesia’s Silicon Valley, the 26-hectare Digital Hub BSD City has been developed since 2016, counting tech companies such as Traveloka, Grab, Apple Developer Academy and Juniper among its numerous tenants.
Knowledge Hub, its latest addition, will be built in two phases. The first phase of the building occupies a 1.1-hectare plot, with a total investment of Rp 750 billion and the project slated to finish in 2024.
The construction itself began immediately following a groundbreaking ceremony on Dec. 8, attended by Communication and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate, Tangerang Regent Ahmed Zaki Iskandar, Sinar Mas managing director Saleh Husin, PT Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) president director Ridwan Darmali, Sinar Mas Land deputy group CEO Monik William and Sinar Mas Land group CFO Lie Jani Harjanto.
In a taped segment, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno highlighted the substantial contribution of the digital economy toward Indonesia’s economic growth, noting the pandemic’s effect as a catalyst for digitalization.
In 2020, digital transactions in Indonesia reached Rp 253 trillion and are projected to reach up to Rp 330.7 trillion this year.
“As part of the development of the national digital economy alongside economic recovery, digital transformation is one of the options we need to consider, including through the construction of the Digital Hub BSD City, We hope that with this development, Indonesian tech companies will be able to grow and flourish much faster to further build on Indonesia’s digital economy,” he said.
Sinar Mas Land digital tech ecosystem and development chief Irawan Harahap said the Digital Hub was an ambitious project developed with optimism in regard to Indonesia’s tech industry.
“We are currently overseeing numerous companies, from start-ups to multinationals, which will surely increase in the future. The construction of Digital Hub’s first phase is part of our efforts to facilitate the rising needs of the tech industry. At the same time, the tech company-oriented office building will surely add to BSD’s recurring income as Sinar Mas Land’s parent company,” he said.
The first phase of the Knowledge Hub building is designed by American Architectural firm NBBJ, which counts clients such as Microsoft, Amazon, Samsung, Alibaba and IBM as part of its portfolio. Meanwhile, Indonesian design firm Metaphor has been tapped to design the building’s interior.
While construction is expected to finish in 2024, the development has found its first tenant in homegrown e-commerce platform Sirclo. While the company has been based in the Digital Hub BSD City area since 2018, its rapid expansion fueled its plans to relocate to a bigger space at Knowledge Hub.
Aside from Knowledge Hub, Sinar Mas Land also partnered with Mitbana, a joint venture company between Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation and Surbana Jurong from Singapore, to develop a transit-oriented development (TOD) in Intermoda BSD City.
Intermoda BSD City Integrates a range of transportation methods, including the commuter train, the free BSD Link shuttle service, airport buses, as well as a park-and-ride facility. The TOD will trial a new smart mobility solution to increase connectivity between BSD City and Jakarta.
Mitbana CEO Gareth Wong said the company was pleased to partner with Sinar Mas Land in developing a new area supporting BSD City’s population growth and providing larger connectivity through easily accessible public transportation.
“We await a new chapter of growth and high spirits that Knowledge Hub will bring to BSD City, which will synergize well when we utilize technology to introduce smart and sustainable facilities and services at Intermoda TOD,” he said.
Occupying a 6-hectare plot, the Intermoda TOD is part of Mitbana and Sinar Mas Land’s partnership to transform more than 100 hectares of land in BSD City into a massive TOD composed of apartments, residential and commercial areas, lifestyle facilities, as well as public transport. Construction is slated to begin in 2022.
