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November 4, 2025
Originally published in ACTIO E-Magazine Edition 27 (October 2025). Law as of October 2025.
Expert’s Corner — Edwin Djakaria, Founder & Director, Stevland Bridge
Technology alone will not deliver Indonesia’s maritime transformation — people will. In this Expert’s Corner, Edwin Djakaria, Founder and Director of Stevland Bridge, argues that maritime organisations should map skills honestly, prioritise compliance over fashionable technology, embed compliance in performance KPIs, and above all build a learning culture that runs from the boardroom to the front line.
Edwin Djakaria is an expert in HR advisory, leadership development and organisational culture. In this interview, he discusses the readiness of Indonesian maritime organisations — particularly human capital and leadership competencies — as the nation pursues its Global Maritime Fulcrum vision, and the strategic shifts required to navigate decarbonization, opaque shipping practices and the need for specialised dispute resolution mechanisms.
His starting point is discipline about technology. Organisations should use skills mapping as a tool to analyse the gap between future requirements, spanning both technology and legal aspects, and their current capabilities. To be effective, they must be honest and realistic in this assessment. Although many interesting advancements exist, they need to determine whether they genuinely require that specific capability right now.
Skills mapping must be used to prioritise which capabilities need development first. For instance, compliance must be prioritised over the adoption of advanced AI, as non-compliance can disrupt operations or even endanger safety. Once the priorities are clear, they should be implemented into the existing curriculum within the corporate university.
Building a strong internal culture of compliance begins with a clear-eyed view of sanctions. As Mr Djakaria notes, sanctions need to be approached wisely: they are often laden with the interests of major states and may not necessarily be fair, and the goal should be global maritime regulation that is fairer for all parties.
Within the organisation, three key elements need encouragement. First, clarifying (klarifikasi): the organisation must clearly explain the rules of the game — what discipline means and why compliance is necessary — ensuring everyone understands the objective. Second, role model (panutan): leadership, particularly at the top level, must serve as an example of the desired behaviour. When high-risk issues arise, leaders must demonstrate integrity and adherence to the rules. Third, reward and punishment (penghargaan dan konsekuensi): appreciate those who comply with the rules, perhaps through bonuses or awards, and set clear consequences or warnings for those who do not.
It is important to remember that not every internal rule can carry the same weight. Organisations must determine which cultural aspects are truly critical and non-negotiable, so that the appropriately important rules can then be enforced sharply.
The question of structure follows directly. To drive talent and leadership management so that compliance is viewed as a strategic business imperative rather than just a legal constraint, organisations need to articulate why compliance matters for the business, beyond merely being a legal obligation.
The easiest and safest way to implement this is by integrating compliance into the Performance Management system — specifically, by making it a Key Performance Indicator (KPI). If compliance is only a suggestion, people will not take it seriously. But if it is included in their KPI, it will be evaluated at the end of the year and will influence their overall performance assessment.
Asked for the single most critical strategic piece of advice for Indonesian maritime leaders on organisational structure and talent pipeline, Mr Djakaria chooses one thing: build a learning culture. This must be the main focus of the organisation. The key to navigating all the subjects discussed — new regulations, AI and technology — is the willingness to constantly learn.
The people within the organisation must always be willing to try and proactively learn new things. If they are not, they will be left behind by the times. And this learning culture should not be limited to the C-level or managers: it must apply to everyone, from the top down.
What is skills mapping, and why does it come first?
It is an honest assessment of the gap between the capabilities an organisation will need — in technology and in law — and the capabilities it has today, used to prioritise what to develop first rather than chasing every new tool.
Why should compliance come before advanced AI?
Because non-compliance can disrupt operations or endanger safety, while an AI capability the organisation does not yet need adds cost without benefit.
What are the three elements of a compliance culture?
Clarifying the rules and why they matter; leadership acting as a role model; and reward and punishment — recognising those who comply and setting clear consequences for those who do not.
How do you make compliance a strategic imperative rather than a legal constraint?
By putting it into the Performance Management system as a KPI, so it is evaluated at year end and affects overall performance assessment.
What is the single most important advice for maritime leaders?
Build a learning culture for everyone, from the top down — the willingness to keep learning is what lets an organisation navigate new regulations, AI and technology.
Indonesia’s maritime transformation will be decided as much by people as by ships, ports and regulations. Skills mapping done honestly, compliance treated as a business priority rather than a legal chore, and a learning culture that reaches every level of the organisation are the foundations Mr Djakaria identifies. Technology will keep changing; the organisations that keep learning will be the ones that keep up.
