Organisations across the country have been rising to the challenges presented by COVID-19 through technology innovations and digital transformation.
In celebration of their successes, Esri Indonesia today announced the winners of the Geo-Innovation Challenge – a competition exploring and promoting the ground-breaking geospatial solutions helping local industries adapt to and embrace 'the new normal'.
Centered around the theme of 'Geo-enabling data-driven decisions in the face of the new normal', the Geo-Innovation Challenge invited the country’s growing geospatial professionals to share their forward-thinking solutions for addressing key industry challenges and helping drive the country’s economic recovery. This year, the award was contested by organisations from more than 15 industries who have been taking risks, solving problems, and using undeterred imagination to spark innovation.
Leslie Wong, Director, Esri Indonesia said the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation across many industries. Organisations have been seeking innovative ways to maintain competitive advantage, keep business running in the 'new normal'and build resilience.
“Now, more and more company leaders understand that they need to be alert in adapting to market conditions and increasingly dynamic consumer demands. The current situation has also accelerated the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML). And the good news is, companies that have adopted this technology have proven that they can better adapt to the new challenges of the 'new normal' era.
"The Geo-Innovation Challenge showcases how the geospatial community has navigated uncertainty by reinventing their main business processes into intelligent workflows with the support of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. This year's awards recognised ten organisations who have been using ground-breaking solutions to help drive real change and make a positive impact," said Mr. Wong.
PT. Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE) was awarded first place at the Awards for their innovative desktop and mobile application, Mevent, that protects the company’s most important asset – their people. By providing HR with updates on staff working from home, the app enables PGE to monitor and manage the impact of COVID-19 on their workforce – and futureproof their organisation against future pandemics.
PGE Assistant Manager for ICT Planning & Solution, Budyi Permono remarked that the COVID-19 crisis brought changes to the way the company does business.
"PGE is committed to always providing the best service for the nation and to do this we need to safeguard our people. The use of GIS technology has enabled us to successfully accelerate the digitisation of our company's security and resilience. We are proud of this award and we look forward to continuing to use GIS technology to drive business growth," said Mr. Permono.
in second place was leading construction company, PT Waskita Karya (Persero) Tbk. Amidst a challenging period for the construction industry, the company leveraged BIM and GIS integration to create Digital Twins for four major projects to realise greater efficiencies and strengthen their resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This award will further strengthen the company's vision to become one of the main contractors in Indonesia," said Hadjar Seti Adji, Director of Human Resources and System Development at PT Waskita Karya (Persero) Tbk. "Geospatial data is everywhere and at the same time, has changed our perceptions of what we know and what is happening in the environment around us. We hope this award can be a catalyst for us to continue to innovate and inspire other businesses to start digital transformation. Together, we can support the 4.0 industrial revolution in Indonesia."
Fisheries business, Ikan Fillet Papua, was awarded third place. Like many small businesses, they had to choose between transforming how they did business or closing-up shop as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They turned to geospatial technology to develop a database that geo-enabled the safe selling and delivery of fish in a pandemic environment.
“Like lot of businesses, the impact of the pandemic was extremely hard for us. The dynamics of the fisheries business have undergone significant changes and there were no other option but to innovate and transform the way we do business and we did so by using geospatial technology. We take pride in being winner of the award as it proves how a business like ours can innovate and use geospatial technology to help us embrace the new normal and be resilient during this challenging time,” said Dirga Daniel, Co-Founder and GIS Specialist Ikan Fillet Papua.
Award judge Professor Hasanuddin Zainal Abidin from the Bandung Institute of Technology said the awards showcased just how valuable technology and digital transformation is for organisations when faced with unexpected challenges like COVID-19.
"Geospatial information plays a key role in the current era of globalisation. Data and information is the starting point for any sustainable development planning. Therefore, accurate and up-to-date data and information are needed regarding the dynamics of business change, especially during this pandemic. I hope the winners of the Geo-Innovation Challenge can help inspire businesses and communities to embrace digital transformation," said Professor Abidin.
Remarking on the winners, an Esri Indonesia spokesperson said their achievements show what is possible with the right mindset and tools.
“Congratulations to all winners. They have set a new standard for business excellence and demonstrated to the rest of the country that the use of geospatial technology is only limited by the imagination of those who use it," the spokesperson said.
Geo-Innovation Challenge Award winners:
- 1st place: Pertamina Geothermal Energy
- 2nd place: PT Waskita Karya (Persero)Tbk
- 3rd place: Ikan Fillet Papua
Category award winners:
- Smart city: Bapelitbag Kota Bontang
- Architecture, engineering and construction (AEC): Lintas Marga Sedaya
- Plantations: PT. Perkebunan Nusantara IV
- Oil and gas: Saka Energi Indonesia
- Education and community: Institute Teknologi Sepuluh November Surabaya
- Spatial forward thinker: Bandung Institute of Technology
- Most influential Instagrammer: Universitas Brawijaya and PT Perkebunan Nusantara IV
Learn more about the Geo-Innovation Challenge winners and projects.