Opinion | From batik to silicon chips, Asia’s craftsmanship is its tech superpower

Flying into Jakarta this week, I am reminded of the exotic blend between the ancient and the new that is Indonesia. Java is famous for its beautiful batik textiles, cotton fabric printed with superb designs from many cultures, from Indian patola patterns, and native Javanese bold block icons to Peranakan butterfly and bird prints.

This combination of old and new is reflected in the incoming government, comprising 72-year-old President-elect Prabowo Subianto, a former general, and 36-year old Vice-President-elect Gibran Raka Rakabuming, son of President Joko Widodo.

Their election manifesto promises to raise Indonesia’s annual economic growth to 8 per cent from 5 per cent, eradicate extreme poverty in two years, and continue the capital’s shift from Jakarta to Nusantara. This is a country using technology and economics to advance in the 21st century. But this is also built on a history of diverse cultures and superb craftsmanship.

Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most-populous country, aims to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2045. It has ambitious plans to upgrade its digital infrastructure and capabilities in line with the Making Indonesia 4.0 industrial road map.

Reading Chris Miller’s book Chip War to understand how semiconductors are changing our future, it struck me how their complex design and manufacturing process share similarities with Asian indigenous textile techniques like batik and ikat.