Changes and Issues of Development and Management of Batik Industry in Java: Case Study of Surakarta and Yogyakarta

This paper discusses the features and issues of the urban industrial Batik cluster in the cities of Surakarta and Yogyakarta, in Central Java, Indonesia. First, the historical development process of the Batik industry was clarified and stressed during the revitalization phase (2004 - Present) using timeline analysis; then the performance, industrial organization, and current conditions were identified for three selected sites in the areas of Laweyan, Kauman and Tamansari by comparison of each cluster's performance. Several factors have been analyzed, such as internal, external, and social factors. Subsequently, our analysis shows the main factors influencing sustainability are: traditional home-based production and the role of female managers, the strategic location and geographic closeness of sites to the labor supply and diversity. Furthermore, the issues facing all three of the sites in this study are the performance of the Forum as a knowledge-sharing agent, and as a platform for organizing the Batik industry and managing tourism within urban heritage sites. Based on these findings, this study provides suggestions which can be adopted for the future planning in the urban industrial Batik clusters.