Apple considers the possibility of establishing a production facility in Indonesia

Apple Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tim Cook is visiting Indonesia and said he is considering production activities in this country. The information was given by Apple CEO after meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on April 17 in Jakarta.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Mr. Cook said the two sides discussed the President's wishes regarding boosting production and Apple will consider this. Apple's CEO also expressed his belief that 'the ability to invest in Indonesia is unlimited'.

Mr. Cook also met with President-elect and current Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto. Next October, Mr. Prabowo will take over the position of President Widodo after winning the election last February.

According to the above ministry's announcement, the two sides discussed for more than an hour at the ministry's headquarters in Jakarta, which mentioned many issues, especially about the cooperation between Apple and the Indonesian Government.

A day earlier, the iPhone maker announced it would open its fourth academy in Indonesia, located on the resort island of Bali. The company first launched a training program for application developers in this country in 2018, in Jakarta. Apple currently does not have a manufacturing plant in Indonesia.

Tim Cook's visit to Indonesia comes as the company is looking to diversify its supply chain outside of China, where the majority of iPhones and iPads are assembled.

According to statistics, Indonesia has a young and tech-savvy population, with more than 100 million people under 30 years old. However, devices using Google's Android operating system are 'surpassing' Apple to dominate the smartphone market in this Southeast Asian country.

Jessica Tanner

Update 19 April 2024