Culture as an Investment for the Future, Ministry of Culture and Danantara Strengthen the Cultural Advancement Ecosystem
Jakarta, July 13, 2026 – The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, together with the Investment Management Agency of Daya Anagata Nusantara (BPI Danantara), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Strengthening the Cultural Advancement Ecosystem. This signing marks a strategic step in enhancing cross-sector synergy to promote the protection, development, utilization, and nurturing of culture as part of the national development strategy.
This collaboration signifies a shift in perspective towards culture. No longer viewed merely as a heritage that needs to be preserved, culture is now seen as an investment for the future that can create social and economic value while strengthening Indonesia's cultural diplomacy on a global scale.
The Director of Cultural Cooperation at the Ministry of Culture, Mardisantori, stated that this cooperation strengthens the collaboration that has previously been established between the Ministry of Culture and Danantara, ranging from support for the revitalization of the National Museum to facilitating Indonesia's participation in the Venice Biennale.
"This strategic collaboration marks a new historical milestone in affirming the joint commitment between the Ministry of Culture as the regulator and implementer of cultural advancement and BPI Danantara as the state investment management agency to build a more resilient, independent, and advanced cultural ecosystem in Indonesia," said Mardi.
He explained that the memorandum of understanding is valid for five years and covers seven areas of cooperation, including program synchronization, cultural protection and development, national and international partnership development, human resource development, cultural digitization, data and information exchange, and other forms of cooperation agreed upon by both parties.
According to him, this synergy is expected not to remain merely an administrative document.
"Let us work together to ensure that this MoU does not become a sleeping MoU, but can be implemented in reality from this agreement for the glory of culture and the advancement of Indonesian civilization," he asserted.
On the same occasion, the CEO of BPI Danantara, Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, emphasized that culture is a strategic asset of the nation that holds significant value and therefore needs sustainable investment support.
He revealed that Danantara, through the Danantara Trust Fund, focuses its support on three main areas: education and culture, health, and sanitation. In the initial phase, Danantara has allocated approximately 100 million US dollars to support the development of these three sectors.
According to Rosan, investing in culture is not only aimed at preserving the nation's heritage but also building the foundation for Indonesia's future through strengthening identity, character, and national competitiveness.
"Culture is actually one of the assets that we can develop together," said Rosan. He added that cultural preservation is a shared responsibility to ensure that cultural values continue to be passed on to future generations.
"We must maintain, enhance, and socialize what we have to the younger generation so that they also know, appreciate, and become part of the development of our culture in the future," he concluded. Rosan also assured that the cooperation agreed upon will not stop at the signing of the document. "This MoU will not become a sleeping MoU. I guarantee you that," he asserted.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, emphasized that cultural advancement is a constitutional mandate that requires support from all stakeholders. "Culture needs support from all parties, as mandated in Article 32 paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution, which states that the state advances Indonesian national culture in the midst of world civilization by ensuring the community maintains and develops its cultural values," emphasized Fadli Zon.
According to him, Indonesia has extraordinary cultural wealth, ranging from prehistoric sites, cultural heritage, museums, to intangible cultural heritage that has the potential to become a diplomatic strength as well as a source of cultural economy. He cited the discovery of prehistoric paintings in the Metanduno Cave, Muna, Southeast Sulawesi, estimated to be 67,800 years old, making it one of the oldest figurative paintings in the world.
"We are not only rich but also have an ancient civilization, perhaps one of the oldest in the world," he said.
Fadli Zon also appreciated Danantara's support for various programs of the Ministry of Culture, such as the revitalization of the National Museum, the development of the National Museum library, support for Indonesia's participation in the Venice Biennale, and plans for the construction of the Indonesian Film Museum, the Indonesian Music Museum, and the Indonesian Photography Museum through the utilization of state assets.
According to him, this collaboration shows that culture is no longer viewed as a complementary sector of development but as one of the strategic instruments capable of generating added value, strengthening national identity, and promoting culture-based economic growth.
In addition, the Minister of Culture also emphasized the importance of building a national cultural industry ecosystem to become Indonesia's cultural strength on a global scale.
"We must promote Indonesian culture in accordance with the constitutional mandate so that it is present in the midst of world civilization," he asserted.
Through the signing of this memorandum of understanding, the Ministry of Culture and BPI Danantara hope to give birth to various collaborative programs that can strengthen national cultural resilience, expand the benefits of cultural economy, and enhance Indonesia's position in global cultural diplomacy. More than that, this collaboration reaffirms that culture is an investment for the future that must be managed sustainably as part of the national development strategy towards Golden Indonesia 2045.