The SBM ITB Industrial Summit 2026, held alongside ICMEM 2026, officially concluded with a call for stronger collaboration among government, industry, academia, and society to translate ideas and insights into concrete action for Indonesia’s future.
Held under the theme “Wealth of Nations: An International Forum Commemorating the Intellectual Legacy of Adam Smith,” the Summit brought together ministers, policymakers, industry leaders, academics, practitioners, and representatives from various institutions to discuss the complex challenges and opportunities shaping Indonesia’s industries and economy.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Ir. Lavi Rizki Zuhal, Ph.D., emphasized that the Summit was designed not simply as a series of presentations, but as a platform where practical experience meets intellectual inquiry.
“Practical experience helps us understand what works in the real world, while intellectual inquiry helps us examine why it works, under what conditions, and how it can be improved,” he said, underscoring the importance of developing solutions that are practical, evidence-based, and capable of creating lasting impact.
From Natural Resources to Sustainable Value Creation
Reflecting on the sectoral discussions throughout the Summit, the mining, oil, and gas sessions highlighted that Indonesia is not short of natural resources. The greater challenge is transforming those resources into sustainable, competitive, and high-value development.
Natural gas can play an important role in strengthening energy security and supporting a lower-carbon economy, while the mining sector must move beyond production volume toward value creation, stronger governance, cleaner processing, traceability, technology, and capable talent.
Strengthening Finance Through Inclusion and Trust
The financial sector discussions highlighted the rapid growth of Indonesia’s financial ecosystem, particularly through digital payments, banking applications, and young retail investors.
However, access is advancing faster than financial literacy.
The Summit therefore emphasized the need to deepen banking and capital markets, strengthen consumer protection, develop relevant sharia financial products, and ensure that AI is governed responsibly.
Ultimately, the success of financial-sector transformation should be measured by how effectively finance supports productive investment and broadens prosperity.
Creating Sustainable and Connected Places
The property discussions highlighted that future value will not simply come from owning more land.
Instead, value will increasingly depend on creating places that are well located, powered, connected, and sustainable.
Housing must be developed closer to employment and transportation, while the property industry must move beyond individual buildings toward integrated, low-carbon urban ecosystems supported by green design, efficient management, reliable data, innovative financing, and strong partnerships.
Building Resilient and Impactful Businesses
The entrepreneurial business discussions reinforced the idea that future business success will depend less on rapid expansion and more on resilience, adaptability, and strategic fit.
Entrepreneurs must understand their markets through evidence, continuously improve their business models, use digital technology strategically, maintain healthy unit economics, and create genuine customer value.
At the same time, a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem must connect government, universities, investors, businesses, and communities, while supporting regional, green, and deep-technology innovation.
Connecting Indonesia’s Transportation Ecosystem
The transportation discussions similarly demonstrated that Indonesia’s challenge is no longer simply about building more roads, ports, vehicles, or digital platforms.
The priority is to connect them to an intelligent, integrated system.
Real-time data and AI can improve route efficiency, safety, fleet utilisation, and first- and last-mile connectivity. Sustainable transportation requires more than electric vehicles; it requires coordinated energy, charging, financing, and operational infrastructure.
From Creative Assets to Distinctive Experiences
The discussions on the creative industries and tourism highlighted another important opportunity for Indonesia.
The country’s competitive advantage lies not merely in producing more content or attracting more visitors, but in creating and owning distinctive stories, intellectual property, and experiences.
As AI accelerates content production and lowers costs, human creativity, strategic judgment, and experimentation become even more important.
Tourism must likewise evolve from simply selling destinations toward designing memorable experiences that connect culture, communities, technology, and sustainability.
Renewable Energy Requires Scale and Bankability
The renewable energy discussions emphasized that Indonesia’s challenge is not a lack of resource potential, but the ability to translate ambitious targets into bankable, connected projects at scale.
Solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal development require stronger grids, energy storage, smart systems, faster procurement, credible offtake arrangements, and effective risk-sharing.
Collaboration will be essential to deliver affordable clean energy, green employment, industrial competitiveness, and a just energy transition.
A Shared Message Across Industries
Although the sectors discussed throughout the Summit face different challenges, they ultimately point to one fundamental message:
Competitiveness no longer comes from resources, infrastructure, capital, or technology alone. It comes from our ability to connect and orchestrate them through good governance, capable people, reliable institutions, innovation, sustainability, and collaboration.
This message reflects the broader intellectual spirit of the Summit and its connection to Adam Smith’s legacy.
The creation of national prosperity is not simply about accumulating resources or increasing economic output. It depends on the ability of institutions, businesses, academics, policymakers, and communities to work together to create productive and sustainable value.
Acknowledging the Summit’s Partners and Sponsors
On behalf of SBM ITB, Prof. Lavi Rizki Zuhal expressed his deepest appreciation to the ministers, speakers, moderators, panelists, and session contributors who generously shared their knowledge and experience throughout the Summit.
He also extended special appreciation to the University of Glasgow for its invaluable collaboration, as well as to the Summit’s partners, participating institutions, media colleagues, and supporters.
Special recognition was also extended to the Summit’s sponsors, Lembaga Penjamin Simpanan (LPS) and Medco, whose support contributed significantly to the successful implementation of the SBM ITB Industrial Summit 2026.
Their support underscores the importance of strong industry partnerships in creating platforms where academic knowledge, business experience, and public policy can converge to address Indonesia’s most pressing challenges.
From Dialogue to Action
The closing statement also emphasised that the Summit’s conclusion should not mark the end of the conversation.
Participants were encouraged to carry the insights, partnerships, and commitments developed during the Summit back into their respective institutions and industries, continuing to challenge conventional thinking, strengthen cooperation, and transform dialogue into concrete action.
The Summit reaffirmed SBM ITB’s commitment to creating a platform where practical wisdom meets intellectual inquiry, academia meets industry, and collaboration contributes to a more competitive, inclusive, and sustainable future.
With these commitments, the SBM ITB Industrial Summit 2026 was officially declared closed, concluding a landmark gathering dedicated to exploring how Indonesia can create greater prosperity through innovation, capable people, strong institutions, and collaboration.
The Summit may have ended, but the work begins now: turning ideas into partnerships, partnerships into innovation, and innovation into lasting impact.
