Should we build a metaverse for the new capital of Indonesia?

Moving the capital of Indonesia from the Jakarta area to the island of Kalimantan is an inevitable necessity due to economic, political, socio-cultural and environmental factors, which require other areas of the archipelago to be developed. It has been decided that the green city and smart city concepts will be applied in the development of the new capital, using a state-of-the-art approach, including metaverse technology. The methodology employed in this study includes in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, direct field observations, and documentation. The findings of this research consist of an analysis of the readiness of IKN and its surrounding area for the implementation of metaverse technology in IKN. This paper examines whether metaverse technology is needed in the construction of the new capital city. If so, what are the needs for the development of the new capital’s metaverse, and what are the advantages (and disadvantages) of using the metaverse. The results are expected to provide a more comprehensive view of the use of metaverse technology in the new capital. © 2024 The Authors