// 3 years in the making, the Cities of Perth and Denpasar have agreed to collaborate for the mutual benefit of digital and creative industries…
At a Council House ceremony earlier this week attended by many luminaries of WA’s startup scene and other business people, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the two cities – Perth and Denpasar, Bali.
The MOU looks to connect the two cities in a collaboration that mutually benefits each other’s “creative and digital economies.”
The main elements of the MOU are:
- connect digital and creative ecosystems, creative economy exchange;
- provide opportunities for startups and entrepreneurs to learn from experts in each city (‘business incubator’); and,
- provide market entry opportunities into Indonesia.
A working group will now look to flesh out the details, and work out a program of initiatives.
The Indonesian economy is A$1.7T. Its GDP/capital has grown 70% over the past two decades. By way of comparison, the Australian economy is around A$1T, and has grown around the same amount over the same period (+62%).
This type of co-operation is the first of its kind for the City of Perth. Although sister relationships have been in place with various other cities since 1974, the MOU is an industry-specific engagement and falls outside the current 11 sister cities.
Due to Covd-19 travel restrictions, the Mayor of Denpasar, Ida Bagus Rai Mantra could not be in attendance, but delivered a speech on video. A similar ceremony was held in Denpasar CIty on the same day as the one in Perth.
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Feature Photo: Perth Lord Mayor Mayor Basil Zempilas, Deputy Mayor Sandy Anghie, City of Perth CEO Michelle Reynolds and other dignitaries at the signing ceremony earlier this week. Photo supplied.
