TOWARDS INDONESIAN MARITIME SOCIAL SOCIETY 5.

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(Essay by Joshua Jonathan Alfonso Siahaan)
I will begin this essay with one simple yet sophisticated question. What is a Maritime Society?
According to Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the first definition of a society is; people in general, living
together in communities. Another keyword in this essay is ‘Maritime’. According to Oxford Learner’s
Dictionary, maritime means connected with the sea or ships. In conclusion, by the etymology, Maritime
Society is a community of people living together with a fundamental dependence, connection and
orientation towards ocean resources and utilizations.

Local wisdom taught me that something big started off something tiny. The journey towards the
finish line starts off something small. In this very case, our destination is the so-called maritime society. In
order to reach it, we need to begin with smaller scale. From nation-wide down to regionals, from regionals
down to communities, and from communities down to communities down to individuals. From nation-wide
down to provinces, and from provinces down to cities.

Some while ago I read an article published by DNV-GL. This article marked the beginning of a
personal thoughtful period of time regarding Maritime Society. The title of the article is “Leading Maritime
Capitals of The World”. The article concludes a research conducted by DNV-GL which ranked the global
top cities in terms of five parameters.

The United Republic of Indonesia is a nation of around 250 million individuals spread over some
17,000 islands that total a land area of 1,811,569 square kilometers, making Indonesia as the largest and
most populated archipelagic nation on earth. Ironically, Indonesia’s city is nowhere to be found in DNV’s
list. In conclusion, the maritime society of Indonesia is still a dream that has yet to come true.

In 2014, The President of Indonesia, Mr. Joko Widodo suggest a concept called the Global Maritime
Fulcrum. The concept itself manifested into public policies and government orientation towards the
utilization of ocean-based-resources such as Liquefied Natural Gas, Fisheries, and Seaborne Trade. Global
Maritime Fulcrum is a great start for Indonesia, however, it will we need to make sure that the mindset lasts
beyond Mr. Jokowi’s reign as president.

According to a research by DNV, there are four main parameters to be optimized that we can used
as a reference to become a maritime society. The first is Shipping, Ports and Logistics, the second parameter
is Attractiveness and Competitiveness, the third parameter is Maritime Finance and Law, and the last
parameter is Maritime Technology.
 In terms of international ports and logistics, Indonesia lives in the shadow of Singapore which is the
number one maritime capital in the world according to DNV. Innovations in ports especially those that are
located around Malacca Strait is the key element to attract international logistics and trades to be conducted
in Indonesian ports. Research and Development to improve the efficiency of ports must be funded and
prioritized by the government as well as by public companies like PT. PELINDO. Strategic reclamation for
port infrastructure construction might become an option. Integrated Coastal Zone Management has been
implemented since the regulation UU No. 27 Tahun 2007 come into force.

5.0 society is a society which implement modern technology especially information technology in
its daily life. 5.0 maritime society is highly influenced by the innovation of information technology. Digital
Transformation and Cyber Security mark the importance of the third parameter: Maritime Finance and Law.
It offers both opportunities and challenges for maritime business practitioners.

For example, Blockchain technology in maritime financing is a breakthrough that will become a
major in maritime world. Blockchain technology offers a more transparent, efficient, and secure maritime
operation. Then, judging from our commonly insecure and unconfident nature, the next question would be:
are we capable enough to adapt? The answer is definitely: yes.

In 2019, a student started writing a bachelor thesis in the Department of Marine Engineering about
the implementation of Blockchain Technology in maritime finance. In 2019 also, there is even a bachelor
thesis that starts the development of a Virtual Reality simulation of a ship’s ballast water system. . I can
guarantee that we, department of marine engineering, have sufficient capability to adapt with the disruptive
technology.

And last but not least, maritime technology. The trend is showing that crew size is gradually
decreasing, For example … . Automated vessels are about to sail in the next few years. There even a
possibility that vessels would be unmanned in the next few decades. Technological development always
emits disruptive changes and both opportunities and threats to every industry. Indonesia has to compete with
other countries in terms of technology. In this case, we have no chance if we do it by ourselves. We have to
do technology transfers with other leading maritime countries. The government should prioritize in giving
students and lecturers from maritime technology schools and colleges scholarships to learn about maritime
technology from other countries.

In conclusion, to build a maritime society, we have to focus ourselves into developing individuals
and communities. Individuals are developed through education in schools and universities, while
communities is developed through public policies and a clean and professional governance. By doing these
things, we can finally put ourselves in the global race as a leading maritime country and truly become the
global maritime fulcrum.