Pertamina & Petronas Digital: Shaping the Nation's Energy Future
TL;DR
Pertamina is scaling digital transformation through its Digital Hub, aligning six subholdings and 264 entities under one enterprise-wide strategy and delivery model.
Digital initiatives are now business-led and value-driven, supporting measurable performance outcomes and operational resilience.
Digital has already delivered USD 95.5 million in value this year, with a target of USD 300 million EBITDA contribution by 2027.
Petronas contributed regional insights on capability maturity, governance and shared accountability for value, reinforcing Pertamina’s approach and encouraging continued collaboration.
Together, both organisations are advancing national energy resilience and supporting Indonesia’s long-term goal of energy independence through secure, efficient and data-enabled operations.
On 26 November 2025, AIBP convened a discussion at Pertamina Digital Hub in Jakarta, bringing together leaders shaping digital transformation across Southeast Asia. The session featured insights from Sigit Pratopo, SVP Pertamina Digital Hub of PT Pertamina (Persero), with regional perspectives shared by Shaharuddin Mustapha, CEO of PETRONAS Digital Sdn Bhd, enabling a direct and unscripted exchange between two of the region’s most influential national energy companies.
The gathering created a space for both organisations to openly explore what it truly takes to modernise complex energy ecosystems. The discussion was anchored by a shared belief that data is energy: persistent, powerful and capable of creating value when governed and transformed with purpose.
Across AIBP’s engagements with enterprises across ASEAN this year, one pattern stands out: transformation only scales when data foundations, business ownership and measurable value move in tandem. Leaders across industries in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand point to the same pressures raised in this dialogue: fragmented data, the need for unified platforms with real-time visibility, rising cybersecurity risks in operational technology and the reality that AI delivers value only when built on reliable, integrated data. These themes mirror the region’s broader shift towards business-led innovation and outcome-driven governance, as enterprises prioritise cost efficiency, operational resilience and readiness for the energy transition, with data and digital capability forming the structural backbone of long-term competitiveness.
From Pilots to Enterprise Value: The Rise of Pertamina’s Digital Hub
Pertamina’s transformation is accelerating through its recently formalised Digital Hub, an orchestrator connecting six subholdings and 264 operating entities under one strategy, one delivery engine and one value narrative.
This marks a shift from technology-driven experimentation to business-led innovation. Previously, digital products were provided with limited business pull. Today, business units define the challenges and co-develop solutions, ensuring that what is built can scale where it matters.
“Digital cannot operate from the sidelines. It must be embedded into the business and accountable for value.” — Ts. Shaharuddin Hamid Mustapha CEO of Petronas Digital Sdn
The Hub operates through three structural engines:
Real-time operational visibility through Remote Surveillance
Scalable product development via the Digital Factory
Seamless deployment governed by the Technical Orchestration Centre
Both organisations agreed that business-led innovation is essential to achieving outcomes at scale.
A Strategy Guided by Measurable Outcomes
Pertamina has placed measurable business value at the centre of its digital agenda. Rather than pursuing technology for its own sake, every initiative is expected to demonstrate clear, quantifiable impact on the business. This mirrors a broader shift in Indonesia, where more than 56% of enterprises now prioritise cost efficiency and return on investment when scaling AI, as reflected in the AIBP ASEAN Enterprise Innovation Market Overview 2025/26.
“We are not here to develop technology for the sake of technology. We are here to deliver business value.” — Ignatius Sigit Pratopo, SVP Digital Hub, Pertamina
Petronas reinforced the same principle from its own transformation journey. “Digital cannot operate from the sidelines. It must be accountable for value,” noted Ts. Shaharuddin Hamid Mustapha. By insisting on proof of value, Petronas has been able to accelerate scaling, tighten business alignment and strengthen accountability for outcomes rather than activities.
Together, Pertamina and Petronas illustrate a common success pattern: digital programmes gain traction and credibility when governed by measurable outcomes, grounded in ROI and tied directly to operational and financial performance.
Visible Value Creation
Pertamina’s transformation is already delivering enterprise-wide benefits:
USD 35 million in digital value created in 2024
USD 95.5 million achieved year-to-date in 2025
USD 150 million targeted for 2026
USD 300 million EBITDA contribution expected by 2027
These outcomes place Pertamina at the forefront of Indonesia’s broader digital momentum, where 69% of enterprises are now prioritising investment in AI and machine learning (AIBP ASEAN Enterprise Innovation Market Overview 2025/26), the largest increase in technology focus across the country.
One standout initiative is fuel inventory optimisation, which enhances stock distribution across depots nationwide, improving working capital efficiency and supply continuity.
People and Capability at the Centre
Technology enables transformation, but people sustain it. Pertamina’s Digital Factory strengthens internal capability by co-developing solutions with partners while building the skills needed to run them in the long term. As solutions mature, ownership transitions fully to Pertamina teams, ensuring sustainability and operational continuity.
“At the end of the day, Pertamina employees must be the ones running this.” — Ignatius Sigit Pratopo, SVP Digital Hub, Pertamina
Petronas highlighted that capability development must evolve with the organisation. “What works today will not be enough tomorrow,” shared Ts. Shaharuddin Hamid Mustapha, reinforcing that digital must remain tightly aligned with operational priorities. He added that progress is driven by shared accountability, where “the right tension must exist. Business challenges digital, and digital challenges business. That is how innovation grows.”
This alignment between business and digital drives faster learning, stronger decision-making and sustained operational results.
Supporting Indonesia’s Energy Future
Pertamina’s digital progress aligns closely with Indonesia’s national priorities for secure and resilient energy systems. With 28.2% of enterprises planning to increase investment in digital technologies by more than 20% (AIBP ASEAN Enterprise Innovation Market Overview 2025/26), the country is preparing for a more reliable and lower-carbon future.
A Cohesive Model for Transformation
The working session reaffirmed that modernising a national energy system requires more than new technologies. It relies on strong alignment between business and digital teams, governance that ensures accountable delivery and continual capability development. Pertamina’s Digital Hub brings these elements together in a model that is already delivering measurable results across its operations.
Petronas’ regional perspective echoed the need to stay focused on business value and sustain talent growth as transformation advances. This shared exchange strengthened alignment between two national energy leaders committed to improving resilience and long-term competitiveness.
As the Digital Hub scales, Pertamina is enhancing Indonesia’s energy ecosystem with improved visibility and secure digital infrastructure, positioning digital as a core engine of enterprise performance and national energy readiness. In doing so, it is contributing to the future of Indonesia’s energy independence and strengthening the country’s ability to navigate an evolving energy landscape.
This article was originally written by Priscilla Kwok.
