Apple is reportedly considering Indonesia as a potential location to diversify its supply chain outside of China. During a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta on April 17th, Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed the President’s desire to promote production from Apple in Indonesia. Cook expressed confidence in investing in the country, stating that there is no limit to the ability to invest.
Apple has been actively seeking to diversify its supply chain and assembly outside of China, with India and Vietnam being key locations. China is currently the assembly factory for many technology companies, including Apple, where most iPhones and iPads are completed. However, China’s slowing economy and the government’s increasing support for domestic businesses have prompted Apple to look for alternatives.
Although it does not currently have a factory in Indonesia, Apple has been running application developer training programs there since 2018 through the Apple Developer Academy. Cook’s visit was also to attend the inauguration ceremony of the fourth academy located in Indonesia.
Indonesia has publicly announced efforts to attract foreign manufacturing investment to promote economic development. These efforts have attracted the attention of leading technology companies in the US, with Nvidia announcing plans to build an artificial intelligence research center in the city of Surakarta (Central Java) in early April. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is also expected to visit Indonesia by the end of this month, according to the Indonesian Minister of Information and Communications.
