How a country becomes datacentre success?

How a country or a location becomes in short time span a #digitalhub?

📌 Can a success story can be replicated from one region to another? 

Last week I have attended a presentation where Indonesia's sustained and forecasted digital growth (YoY 13%) was showcased and some of the factors of its growth success identified. 

Digital growth and hashtag#digitalinfrastructure growth linked to it including datacentres & connectivity are both signs of its growth AND a result of growth at the same time. But can this dependency be hacked and sped up somehow?

I have never been to Indonesia but what surprised & impressed me the most was the agency to grow from within. 

The idea that foreign and outside investors are not present, doesn't have to be by any means a deciding factor, or so it seems in Indonesia's case within its initial growth. The country's domestic e-commerce, digital media and digital financial services growth didn't need an external impulse. Foreign capital is coming now but it wasn't the reason for the growth itself.

💡 What does it mean in reality? 

📌 This example shows that growing digital economies can become agent of its own growth, the wait for external saviors is over. Or least Indonesia shows it was possible.

Some other "ingredients" of its recipe for success? 

- Young, growing demographics in a populous country (Indonesia is 4th biggest population) ✅ 

- Strong domestic economy and growth of middle class ✅ 

- Exporting its natural resources (gold, oil, tin) & growing domestic services ✅ 

- Engaged and proactive government & regulatory incentives ✅ 

🔁 A virtuous cycle? 🔁 

Strong digital economy  ⏩ attracts more digital infrastructure ( incl. hashtag#datacenters)  ⏩ attracts investors keen on strong ROI 🟰  turns into a digital hub 🏆 

What with countries where digital economy and e-commerce is not yet as strong? 

Countries that boast exploding young demographics and growing and strong middle class (I am thinking of Ghana, Senegal, CIV among others). 

🌍 

What would it take for them to grow domestic B2B digital talent and base and kick-starting the virtuous cycle of growth to the level of becoming an important digital player?

How the government policies and regulation can help and encourage that spark when they do not have bottomless bags of cash? 

These are truly questions that are extremely difficult to answer. Growth and its dynamics are complex - even more impressive and noteworthy seeing hashtag#Jakarta's and Indonesia's journey. 

#digitalgrowth #digitalinfrustructure #datacenters #Indonesia #JK1