Sinar Mas Land (SML) is fully aware that digital technologies play a major part in our lives. The respected property developer has long been incorporating advanced technology into its products, but they haven’t stopped just there. Last year they started a project called Digital Hub, which is a home for digital technology-based industries and communities.
Photo by Sinar Mas Land Doc.
SML develops properties which reflect a modern lifestyle, from residential projects to commercial estates. Using the latest technological advancements, SML upgraded their offering at their biggest land bank at BSD City, Tangerang to create a smarter city. The west part of BSD City now has CCTV coverage on the main roads for 24-hour traffic surveillance and fibre optic cables for high speed Internet. Its public commercial areas now benefit from high-speed public hotspots. Residents can also manage their house billings and get updates through the One Smile smartphone application.
The property developer then decided not only to make use of the digital technology – they created a home for it. “Digital Hub is a district dedicated for the technology and digital communities. The area is prepared to be the future research and development centres, data centres, creative industry offices and more,” says Irawan Harahap, project leader of Digital Hub. To date, Digital Hub is confirmed to be the new home for Apple Inc. Research and Development, Huawei, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Japan and Dimension Data Indonesia, part of NTT Group, alongside Sinar Mas’s online commercial platforms, Bilna and Sale Stock.
Learning from the most celebrated technology-oriented district, Silicon Valley, SML understoodands that Digital Hub would need educational institutions to be its source of talent, which, over time, would later will also build the community. Therefore SML invited Purwadika IT School, Yogyakarta-based Amikom and Bandung-based Geekfarm to be a part of Digital Hub.
Digital Hub sits on 25.86-hectares of land in BSD City. Here clients can buy plots of land in sizes ranging from 1,000-10,000 sqm or business lofts with strata title ownership. Alternatively, they can rent business spaces or adopt a rent-to-own business model.
The development is divided into two phases, starting from the north part. The overall design is being undertaken by US-based NBBJ, who have a proven track record in designing buildings and masterplans for some of the most prestigious technology companies like Apple, Amazon, and Alibaba.
The construction of the first building, called the Knowledge Hub, was started in May 2017. When complete it will have a 25,000-sqm gross floor area using a wide span structure and start-up tenants will benefit from a range of special amenities. “As a creative space, this building will have a dedicated area with advanced facilities to be shared among the tenants such as a Gaming Room, a Virtual Reality studio and the latest in 3D printing machines. By having these complimentary facilities, the tenants can allocate their budget to other needs to expand their business,” shares Irawan.
Digital Hub is aimed especially at start-up ventures. By setting up this technology community, SML is providing the infrastructure for home grown creative talent to innovate and develop. Working in the same location as the anchor tenants will provide a vital stimulus and motivation for young talent to participate in the global marketplace