Indonesia’s Nongsa Digital Park has signed a cooperation agreement with Swiss technology company PHOENIQS AG to develop sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in the country, with an initial focus on serving businesses and industries across Southeast Asia.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on October 29, 2026, in Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland, where PHOENIQS operates its AI supercomputer. The agreement was signed by PHOENIQS Executive Chairman Thomas Taroni and Nongsa Digital Park Chief Business Officer Marco Bardelli. The signing was witnessed by Indonesian Ambassador to Switzerland Ngurah Swajaya and Thomi Jourdan, President of the Government of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft.
The partnership aims to help Indonesian organisations develop and operate AI-based data infrastructure while retaining control over their data and technology. The initial focus will include banking, telecommunications and smart manufacturing.
Under the arrangement, Nongsa Digital Park will provide regional and international connectivity along with a data-centre environment within its special economic zone in Batam. PHOENIQS will contribute its sovereign cloud and AI technology, which the company has previously deployed with telecommunications and infrastructure partners in Switzerland and the Middle East.
The collaboration is intended to give organisations greater control over how sensitive information is stored and processed. The approach goes beyond data residency by focusing on control over infrastructure, data access and technology operations.
Implementation will begin with pilot projects involving banks, telecommunications companies and manufacturers in Batam and Singapore.
Indonesian Ambassador Ngurah Swajaya welcomed the agreement, highlighting Indonesia’s position as Southeast Asia’s largest economy, with a population of around 280 million people, a young demographic and growing digital connectivity. He said cooperation with Switzerland could support innovation and strengthen the countries’ technology partnership.
The agreement also includes plans to develop local expertise. Nongsa Digital Park intends to establish a Sovereign AI Academy in collaboration with Infinite Learning, local universities and polytechnics, and Swiss education partners. The academy will focus on training Indonesian engineers and technicians to deploy and operate sovereign AI systems.
An open-model hackathon is also planned for January 2027.
Located in Batam, near Singapore, Nongsa Digital Park is positioned as a digital infrastructure hub connecting Indonesia with regional technology markets. The partnership is expected to support the development of sovereign AI infrastructure while strengthening Indonesia’s ability to manage sensitive data and digital systems.
