en.malanginspirasi.com – Malang Mayor Wahyu Hidayat welcomed the choice of Malang City as a pilot project for FutureGen for Change (FGC), a collaborative efforts through technological interventions addressing strategic urban issues.
He mentioned his appreciation during a hearing between the Malang City Government (Pemkot Malang), the Association of Indonesian City Governments (APEKSI), and the Pijar Foundation in the Mayor’s Meeting Room at Malang City Hall on Tuesday, May 26th 2026.
“Currently, amidst the dynamic regional situation, steps must be taken to improve Malang City. I am confident it will be successfull through collaboration, innovation, and coordination,” Wahyu said.
He considered the FGC program highly appropriate because it targets four urban challenges that will be the focus of intervention: public health, urbanization, climate and disaster risk, food security, and the elderly.
Technological interventions will support the resolution of these various issues, both in the form of software and hardware innovations.
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Furthermore, Wahyu also mentioned about Malang City’s strategic role and capabilities as a World Creative City, which he considers crucial for supporting the implementation of the FGC.
“Malang City is the only Creative City in the Media Arts sector in Southeast Asia. This provides a gateway for local startups and a focal point for UNESCO to collaborate with the FGC,” added the man, known as Pak Mbois.
It gained a positive response from the Executive Director of APEKSI, Alwis Rustam.
He emphasized that the implementation of the FGC in Malang City must align with the vision of a “Malang Mbois” (Malang Mbois and Berkelas) and prioritize the city’s strategic potential.
“Malang is more mature, and its creative young people are recognized internationally. Therefore, the FGC needs to provide a strong support system and ecosystem,” said Alwis.
Meanwhile, Cynthia Krisanti, Director of Innovation at the Pijar Foundation, explained that the FGC will encourage the involvement of innovation and technology in solving Malang City’s strategic problems in selected areas.
“We will open opportunities for startups from across Indonesia and allied countries to participate. We are also pleased to hear about the development of potential local startups interested in getting involved,” she said.
FGC is also collaborating with the British Embassy and several institutions within the Pijar Foundation network to support the implementation of selected programs in Malang City.
