Media

PALU, August 20, 2026 – Generation Z has significant potential to become a new driving force for entrepreneurship development in Indonesia. Amid rapid digital transformation and changing economic patterns, young people are increasingly expected not only to seek employment but also to create business opportunities and generate jobs.

This was one of the key topics discussed in “Dialog Luar Studio,” a program broadcast by RRI NET on Thursday, August 20, 2026, under the theme “Gen Z with an Entrepreneurial Spirit.”

The theme is highly relevant to the current business environment, where digital technology is providing young people with increasingly broad opportunities to establish businesses, market products, develop personal brands, and create new business models.

Generation Z is widely recognized as a generation that has grown up alongside digital technology. This represents an important asset in developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly through the use of social media, digital platforms, e-commerce, and various technology-driven innovations.

However, technological proficiency needs to be accompanied by an entrepreneurial mindset, creativity, the courage to seize opportunities, the ability to understand market needs, and resilience in dealing with risks and failure.

Developing an entrepreneurial mindset among young people cannot rely solely on theoretical knowledge. Education and the broader social environment need to provide opportunities for young people to gain practical experience, become familiar with the business world, develop creativity, and learn how to transform problems into economic opportunities.

Various studies on digital entrepreneurship have shown that young people can develop businesses by utilizing digital platforms, including social media and online marketplaces. Technological proficiency, digital marketing skills, motivation, and consistency are important elements in building sustainable digital businesses.

In the context of regional economic development, strengthening the entrepreneurial spirit of Generation Z also carries strategic importance. Young people in the regions have opportunities to transform local potential into value-added products and services capable of reaching broader markets.

For this reason, collaboration among the government, educational institutions, business community, youth organizations, financial institutions, and industry is needed to create an ecosystem that supports the emergence and growth of young entrepreneurs.

Handri Pinatik, a young entrepreneur and founder of Banua Sidat, who also serves in the Fisheries Division of APINDO Central Sulawesi, said Generation Z should not remain merely users of technology and consumers of digital products. Instead, they should move up the value chain to become creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs capable of generating economic value while delivering tangible benefits to society.

Chairman of DPP APINDO Central Sulawesi Wijaya Chandra added that this spirit is aligned with Indonesia’s need to prepare its younger generation to capitalize on the demographic dividend and achieve the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045.

Young people equipped with strong competencies, character, creativity, and an entrepreneurial mindset, he said, will become an important force in driving national economic growth.

Through discussions such as “Gen Z with an Entrepreneurial Spirit,” it is hoped that more young Indonesians will have the confidence to start businesses, innovate, and transform challenges into opportunities.

“Gen Z is not merely a generation of technology users, but a generation that creates opportunities,” Wijaya Chandra said. (iL/sltg)