ACCELERATE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR SUPERIOR, INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN EAST JAVA TOWARDS NATIONAL ECONOMIC RESILIENCE AND INDEPENDENCE

Abstract

This study examines the acceleration of regional development in East Java as a strategic instrument for achieving superior, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in order to support national economic resilience and independence. East Java, as the second-largest contributor to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) after Jakarta, holds both potential and complex development issues that require a critical, analytical, and multidimensional approach. Although East Java's economic growth shows a positive trend, averaging 5.1% per year (BPS, 2020-2024), inter-regional disparities, an uneven human development index, and the dependence of certain sectors on external conditions remain structural challenges that have not been comprehensively resolved.
This study uses a quantitative-qualitative (mixed methods) approach, with 38 districts/cities in East Java as analysis units. Secondary data was obtained from BPS, BAPPENAS, and the East Java Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) for the 2018-2024 period. Spatial analysis, panel data regression, and System Dynamics modeling were used in an integrated manner to identify the determinants of regional development acceleration. The findings indicate that infrastructure investment, the quality of local governance, and digital connectivity are key variables that significantly influence inclusive economic growth. This research contributes to the development of a resilience-based regional development model that can be adapted for other strategic provinces in Indonesia.