Jakarta’s blue economy is not defined only by what takes place along its coastline or within its waters. Its opportunity also lies in the wider network of businesses, infrastructure and services that process, transport and trade marine products, supported by financing, technology and professional services. This allows Jakarta to create value across marine value chains, including from resources produced elsewhere in Indonesia, while drawing on its strengths as a service-based economy. The opportunity, however, is not simply to expand economic activity. As the LSE Grantham Research Institute (2024) explains, the blue economy brings economic activity together with environmental sustainability and social benefits. For Jakarta, this means pursuing investment and value creation while protecting marine ecosystems and supporting community welfare.

The scale of the wider ocean economy shows why this approach matters. OECD (2025) notes that more than 80% of global goods trade by volume is transported by sea, making maritime transport essential to connecting markets. Marine production also remains significant, with FAO (2026) reporting that 118 million tonnes of aquatic animals were produced in marine areas in 2024, representing 61% of global aquatic animal production. Fisheries and aquaculture increasingly depend on wider supply chains, as improvements in processing, preservation, transport and logistics allow aquatic products to move far from where they are produced. Economic value can therefore be created not only at the point of production, but also through the facilities and services that connect producers, businesses and consumers.

Jakarta is well positioned to participate in wider marine value chains, supported by three major fisheries ports, 196 fish processing units and five major fish auction sites (DPMPTSP, 2024). The same mapping also identifies around 1.03 million tonnes of capture fisheries potential and 13,767 hectares of aquaculture land potential. This fisheries base, combined with Jakarta’s strengths in trade, logistics, finance and professional services, can help marine businesses reach wider markets, improve product quality and access technology and financing. This creates opportunities to generate greater value beyond higher catches or aquaculture output, in line with Jakarta’s Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) 2025–2029, which supports blue economy development through maritime research and technology, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, marine tourism, maritime transport, seafood processing and supporting infrastructure such as fishing ports and cold storage.

North Jakarta provides a practical base for turning this potential into economic activity. Port operations, including those at Tanjung Priok, connect maritime transport with processing, warehousing, distribution and trade. Seafood processing clusters and cold chain facilities have been identified as investment opportunities, while cold storage capacity remains limited relative to needs. Jakarta’s investment potential mapping also identifies logistics and warehousing as priority sectors in North Jakarta. This combination creates opportunities for businesses to develop services that support the handling, storage and movement of marine products across the city and through wider distribution networks. 

Realising this potential will depend in part on the quality and efficiency of the infrastructure supporting these activities. The World Bank (2025) reports that cold chain and processing facilities can improve product quality and supply chain efficiency, pointing to the importance of reliable storage, handling and distribution systems. In Jakarta, this creates investment opportunities in refrigerated storage, modern warehousing, distribution systems and supporting technology that can help address existing gaps and improve the movement of marine products. Financing and business services can further support these investments, while their viability will depend on market demand, operational capacity and effective facility management. 

Furthermore, Kepulauan Seribu brings a different set of opportunities to Jakarta’s blue economy, particularly in fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism and conservation. Its natural environment, heritage, water-based activities and seafood create opportunities for tourism and local enterprise, although some islands still face limitations in connectivity, basic infrastructure and accommodation capacity. Improvements in these areas need to be accompanied by ecosystem protection, as greater economic activity can also increase environmental pressure. Stronger connectivity could help island businesses access processing and distribution facilities in North Jakarta, as well as financing, technology and professional services available elsewhere in the city. In this way, Kepulauan Seribu and North Jakarta can develop complementary economic roles while drawing on financing, technology and professional services available across the wider city.

By connecting these strengths, Jakarta can create greater value from marine activities across Indonesia. Trade, logistics, financing and professional services can support businesses operating along marine value chains, while North Jakarta and Kepulauan Seribu provide different but complementary foundations for investment. Well-managed infrastructure, stronger business services and environmental protection can support lasting economic and social benefits while opening opportunities for innovation and investment. This gives the blue economy a clear role in Jakarta’s transformation into a competitive and sustainable global city. For businesses and investors exploring opportunities in processing, logistics, tourism and supporting services, Jakarta offers a growing platform to participate in this development and contribute to the next stage of its blue economy.