Kura Kura Bali, Indonesia – May 26, 2025 — The New Era Bali Kerthi Economic Roadmap: Pioneering Special Economic Zones for Wealth, Health, Knowledge, and Creative Industry summit convened global policymakers, business innovators, and academic leaders to chart a bold new path for sustainable economic development. Hosted at Indonesia’s groundbreaking Kura Kura Bali Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the summit served as the culmination of the Tri Hita Karana Global Business Summit on Belt and Road Infrastructure Investment for a Better Business, Better World, and Sustainable Development Goals (May 24–26), which spanned Bandung, Jakarta, and Bali.
Co-hosted by the Government of Indonesia and co-organized by the United In Diversity (UID) Foundation and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), the summit explored innovative models for SEZ development that align economic growth with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative was supported by key global organizations, including the UNGC BRI for SDG Action Platform, Indonesia Global Compact Network, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the Tsinghua Southeast Asia Center.
Special Economic Zones, with their unique policy frameworks and incentives, have proven powerful in attracting investment, driving innovation, and generating employment. This summit examined how SEZs like Kura Kura Bali can foster sustainable, inclusive growth while preserving cultural heritage and ecological integrity—supporting Indonesia’s blue economy and marine spatial planning agenda.
“Through marine spatial planning, we’re developing blue economy prototypes for the world,” said Kartika Listriana, S.T., MPPM, Director General of Marine Spatial Management. “Indonesia’s 17,500 islands show that economic zones can be engines of both prosperity and preservation—sustaining coastal communities while protecting the marine ecosystems that support them.”
Steven Seng, Chief of Subsidiary Operations at Kura Kura Bali SEZ, shared tangible outcomes from the zone’s development, highlighting its commitment to ecological sustainability: over 700,000 native trees planted, 160 bird species supported, and robust partnerships with local communities to promote education and economic opportunity. “Our SEZ demonstrates that economic development can actively enhance biodiversity,” Seng noted. “Every infrastructure decision is made through an ecological lens.”
Professor Victor Chan, from Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, introduced the Tsinghua Southeast Asia Center—established in 2018 as a collaboration between Tsinghua University and the United In Diversity Foundation—also located within the Kura Kura Bali SEZ. The Center was founded to help bridge solutions for sustainable development, grounded in the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, or the ‘Three Ways to Happiness’.
One of the Center’s key initiatives, Happy Digital X (HDX), is a professional education program designed to accelerate digital transformation—particularly through the application of AI technologies across industries. HDX aims to cultivate professionals who can lead these transformations in their respective fields. “The most industry that can benefit from cost reduction using AI is the supply chain and inventory management service operations … Cost reductions are one big help in terms of revenue with a 71% revenue increase,” Prof. Chan said.
A notable success story emerging from HDX 1.0 was the Sumedang Digital Transformation challenge project. One of its participant-led projects helped improve Sumedang’s e-government systems, contributing to a 50% reduction in poverty and stunting, Prof. Chan shared.
The upcoming Happy Digital X 3.0 will run for 12 weeks in a hybrid format, starting in November 2025. The program will feature distinguished faculty from MIT, KTH Sweden, the Technical University of Munich, and Tsinghua University. Prof. Chan extended an open invitation to stakeholders across business, academia, and government to participate.
The initiative has received high-level endorsement, including support from Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Chairman of the National Economic Council, who signed the official HDX endorsement letter. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has also expressed its backing.
As Prof. Chan concluded: “We want to showcase technologies that improve lives, enhance social well-being, and help build a happier society.”
SEZs as Engines of Sustainable Prosperity
Special Economic Zones’ unique policy frameworks and incentives have proven powerful in attracting investment, fostering industrial innovation, and creating employment. This forum delves into how SEZs like Kura Kura Bali can drive sustainable, inclusive growth while preserving cultural heritage and environmental integrity, aligning with Indonesia’s blue economy and marine spatial planning strategies.
About United In Diversity Foundation:
The United In Diversity (UID) Foundation empowers tri-sector leaders to create and implement sustainable solutions to the region’s most pressing challenges. With 21 years of experience fostering trust for our common future as a not-for-profit organization, UID is committed to systemic transformation through social innovation, achieved by promoting awareness-based leadership and advocating for self-generative governance.
UID’s vision is to see a united and peaceful Indonesia achieved through synergy among the diverse Indonesian society and constituents of the international community. Our mission is to serve as an educational platform and catalyst for trust-building and cooperation among businesses, the public sector, and civil society through a learning process that paves the way for our sustainable common future.
About Tsinghua Southeast Asia Center:
Tsinghua Southeast Asia Center (TSEA) is an organization focused on talent development, research, innovation, and academic collaboration. Established in 2018, TSEA is a collaborative initiative between Tsinghua University in Beijing and the United in Diversity Foundation in Jakarta. As part of our commitment to supporting the achievement of Asta Cita, TSEA contributes specifically to sustainable development, innovation, and societal well-being. We believe that collaboration among diverse stakeholders—including government, industry, and academia—is essential to realizing the vision of Indonesia Emas 2045.
About Kura Kura Bali:
Kura Kura Bali is a special economic zone (SEZ) for Quality Tourism and Creative Industries, officially designated by the Government of Indonesia in April 2023. The SEZ is managed by PT Bali Turtle Island Development (BTID) as the Master Developer. Spanning 498 hectares, Kura Kura Bali is a destination that blends modern Bali’s spirit with its cultural heritage’s richness, rooted in the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, achieving harmony between people, nature, and spirituality.
With a focus on marina lifestyle, knowledge-based communities, and holistic quality of life, Kura Kura Bali offers a range of opportunities in a new era of tourism, innovative industries, and well-being.
Grounded in respect for tradition and guided by thoughtful planning, Kura Kura Bali strives to shape a future where culture and modernity coexist, becoming a pioneer of responsible development that creates lasting value for both local and global communities.
About the United Nations Global Compact:
The United Nations Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, calling on companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. By promoting responsible business practices and catalyzing actions in support of broader UN goals, including the SDGs, the UN Global Compact serves as a vital platform for engaging the private sector in global development.
Learn more about the organizers:
● Website United In Diversity Foundation: https://unitedindiversity.org/
● Website Tsinghua Southeast Asia Center https://staging.tsea.asia/
● Website Kura Kura Bali: https://kurakurabali.com/
● Website United Nations Global Compact: https://unglobalcompact.org/
