Indonesia outlined its youth cooperation proposals at Pwani Innovation Week 2026 in Mombasa.
Indonesia wants young entrepreneurs, universities and technology hubs to turn digital access into jobs and practical solutions.
Indonesia wants to expand youth innovation partnerships with Kenya, focusing on digital entrepreneurship and emerging technologies. Its embassy in Nairobi has called for stronger links between young innovators in Asia and Africa.
Raden Wisnu Lombardwinanto outlined the proposals at Pwani Innovation Week 2026 in Mombasa on October 30. He serves as Indonesia’s Minister Counsellor for Information, Social and Cultural Affairs.
The diplomat said both countries could harness their young populations and expanding digital connectivity to support innovation. However, he urged them to move beyond diplomatic ties and connect entrepreneurs, universities, technology hubs and creative industries.
Priorities for youth innovation partnerships
Lombardwinanto identified the digital and creative economies, renewable energy, food security and the blue economy as potential cooperation areas. He also proposed exchanges between universities and innovation hubs to share skills and practical solutions.
He argued that wider internet access must translate into productivity, inclusion and economic opportunities. Innovation, he added, should help communities tackle everyday challenges rather than serve only as a measure of technological progress.
To illustrate the countries’ digital development, Lombardwinanto cited internet penetration figures from early 2025. Indonesia stood at 74.6 per cent, compared with Kenya’s 48 per cent.
Meanwhile, Pwani Innovation Week drew more than 2,500 participants from across the East African coastal region. The event also marked the Swahilipot Hub Foundation’s tenth anniversary. The foundation has helped young people build skills, develop ideas and pursue entrepreneurial initiatives.
Scholarships and exchanges offer a foundation
Lombardwinanto pointed to existing education and youth exchanges as a starting point for deeper cooperation. Kenya, he said, ranked second among 16 countries participating in the Indonesia Aid Scholarship programme, with 40 Kenyan beneficiaries.
Earlier in the year, the Indonesian Embassy worked with universities in both countries to organise a youth dialogue. More than 150 participants attended in person, while approximately 200 joined online.
The diplomat also called for renewed South-South cooperation, drawing on the 1955 Asian-African Conference in Bandung. That gathering brought countries from both continents together around solidarity and cooperation.
He said a renewed Bandung Spirit should encourage young people to form partnerships and address shared global challenges. Indonesia and Kenya could also learn from each other by exchanging practical solutions and connecting their communities.
To advance that goal, Lombardwinanto urged platforms such as Pwani Innovation Week to turn discussions into practical initiatives. These efforts, he said, should empower young people, strengthen cross-border partnerships and create lasting economic opportunities.
