Batik is a traditional Indonesian textile that is recognized as a cultural heritage in Semarang. It is one of the leading sectors in the city and is commonly worn by government and educational institutions as a uniform.
Working together with the local government in Semarang, the Catalyzing City Resilience Solutions program will empower batik businesses to become a more premium industry, while encouraging more sustainable business practices.
The Semarang SME Resilience Profile gets up close and personal with some of Semarang’s 300 batik businesses and its craftspeople to understand their struggles during the pandemic, competition from batik industries of neighboring cities, and challenges with pollution.
In Semarang, Resilient Cities Network is running the Catalyzing City Resilience Solutions program with support from the Citi Foundation to help the local economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. This recovery will catalyze urban resilience by empowering and strengthening a selection of critical small and medium enterprise (SMEs) to develop locally relevant solutions.