[Jakarta, 24 November 2023] — As a significant step toward innovation in the use of big data and data science for official statistics, Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik/BPS) proudly expresses its enthusiasm in becoming the host of the Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science for the Asia-Pacific region. The Government of Indonesia has committed to collaborating with the United Nations (UN) in supporting the UN Global Platform at BPS. This groundbreaking initiative will position Indonesia as a key leader in data-driven technology advancement.

The challenges of modernizing statistical data collection continue to grow. Conventional methods such as censuses and surveys face limitations, including high costs, lengthy implementation time, and heavy reliance on enumerator quality. A new source of alternative data has emerged: big data, characterized by volume (large data size), velocity (fast data availability), and variety (diverse data types). Big data holds the potential to enable the provision of faster, more detailed, and more varied statistical data.

Efforts to accelerate modernization and the use of big data for official statistics have not yet reached or involved all statistical offices globally. To make these efforts more inclusive and bring modernization closer to the regional level, four Regional Hubs for Big Data were established to support the UN Global Platform. These hubs were founded in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), China (Hangzhou), Rwanda (Kigali), and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) during 2020 and 2021. The Regional Hub in China is planned to be elevated to a UN Global Center.

At the 54th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, held from 22 February to 3 March 2023 in New York, Indonesia expressed its support for China’s efforts to upgrade its Regional Hub into a UN Global Center. At the same event, Indonesia also announced its readiness to establish a new Regional Hub for Big Data, replacing China's role. This proposal was warmly welcomed by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD-DESA), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), as well as representatives from China and Australia, as reflected in Decision 16: Big Data (Item 3n):

The Statistical Commission:
(c) In this regard, supported the proposal of China to become a global center on specific topics of Big Data and Data Science; and welcomed the proposal of Indonesia to become a Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science for Asia and the Pacific;

The Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science for the Asia-Pacific region is to be established in Indonesia as a collaborative and action-oriented center for technology and innovation. Its main goals are to facilitate big data and data science projects for official statistics and SDG indicators, share knowledge on new methods, algorithms, and tools, and provide training on the use of big data and data science for producers of official statistics in Asia and the Pacific.

In the field of big data, BPS leads the way in utilizing mobile positioning data for tourism statistics and is now focusing on satellite imagery for agricultural statistics. In November 2022, BPS, in collaboration with the UN Global Working Group on Big Data for Official Statistics and the Asian Development Bank, successfully hosted The 7th International Conference on Big Data for Official Statistics in Yogyakarta, which significantly advanced innovations by the Global Working Group in the use of big data for official statistics.

BPS’s readiness to establish the Regional Hub in Indonesia is supported not only by qualified human resources but also by robust supporting infrastructure. BPS owns its own educational campus in the field of Statistics and Data Science (Politeknik Statistika STIS) and a Center for Education and Training (Pusdiklat).

This readiness was affirmed by Acting Head of BPS, Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, in her opening remarks at the Establishment of Regional Hub of Big Data and Data Science for Asia and the Pacific event at Menara Danareksa, Jakarta (24 November). “This is a great honor for Indonesia, especially for BPS,” she stated, expressing hope that this opportunity will further the development of big data and data science while enriching official statistics in Indonesia.

The Regional Hub is expected to become a center for transformation and modernization of the statistical system in the Asia-Pacific region. Indonesia has officially been selected as the regional hub for big data and data science, with BPS serving as the leader in this initiative. Politeknik Statistika STIS, which will serve as the Secretariat, is designated as the learning and development center for the Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science in Indonesia.

According to Imam Machdi, Deputy for Methodology and Statistical Information at BPS, Politeknik Statistika STIS has already implemented a curriculum that supports big data development, which can be leveraged to strengthen the Regional Hub on Big Data and Data Science. The polytechnic has contributed significantly to the development of big data for official statistics through research, workshops, and capacity-building activities.

As a form of Indonesia’s commitment to becoming the host of the Regional Hub, the United Nations Workshop on Big Data in Asia–Pacific Countries was held from 21 to 24 November 2023 at the STIS campus. The workshop introduced the use of satellite imagery to predict land cover and was attended by participants from Asia-Pacific countries such as Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and Cambodia.