ConnecTechAsia, comprising BroadcastAsia, CommunicAsia and NXTAsia wrapped up, drawing 38,000 attendees and 1,700 exhibitors over two venues.
The event unfolded over three exciting days of networking, announcements, thought leadership keynotes and discussions, showcases on the latest innovations and trends including 5G, AI, IoT, Smart Cities, next-generation broadcasting and more.
5G emerged as the show stealer with Infocomm Media Development Authority’s Chief Executive Tan Kiat How outlining Singapore’s vision for 5G – as an enabler that supports the development of innovative applications and services that will power the country’s Digital Economy. Showcases and discussions around 5G throughout the event also shone the spotlight on how the technology will create value and deliver benefits to businesses and societies, and how 5G will accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies as Asia’s digital future beckons.
On the back of 5G, technological convergence that is taking place across Asia is giving rise to the emergence of Smart Cities in the region. A growing priority for governments, Smart Cities are seen as a sustainable way forward for Asia as it grapples burgeoning populations, rapid urbanisation and increasing pollution.
At ConnecTechAsia, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was inked between ConnecTechAsia, Smart Cities Network and Smart Cities Council India on ‘The Digitally Twinned Smart Cities Initiative’ on 19 June. This signifies a pioneering regional effort aligned to the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) that encourages a proactive, innovative, and entrepreneurial approach towards the creation and development of Digitally Twinned Smart Cities from participating countries. The MoU covers the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of Digitally Twinned Smart Cities, and several cities in ASEAN and India are set to come on board.
As the development of Smart Cities continues to gain momentum across the region, innovations related to an increasingly digital urban environment became a draw at ConnecTechAsia. This included the launch of autonomous robots from OTSAW and Solustar at the event, both of which received significant visitor and media attention.
Technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) also saw buzz on the show floor, with Korea’s Salin Co. inking a deal with Singapore’s Green Lab to bring its EpicLive VR education platforms to international schools in Singapore and regional Asian countries. EpicLive allows students to interact in a VR class and can be used in scenarios such as debates or lessons programmed by schools, boosting knowledge retention and adding a fun, engaging teaching aid for the classroom.
With growing demand for high-quality video content made possible by the increasing connectivity across the region, Malaysia’s MEASAT Satellite Systems announced an agreement at ConnecTechAsia to carry India’s first 4K / UHD channel and the world’s first 4K/UHD HDR travel channel, Travelxp. Travelxp offers viewers a closer and immersive view at the world’s most beautiful travel destinations, cultures and heritage in stunning resolution like never before.
Acknowledging how emerging technologies will play a pivotal role in shaping future societies, Dr David Soldani, Expert, CTO Office, Huawei Southern Pacific Region, provided his perspective on how businesses and societies will continue to evolve alongside technology,
Asia’s rising growing smartphone adoption and youthful population has also seen a surge in gaming and the e-sports industry. Esports, beyond being a multibillion dollar industry, could possibly be an Olympic sport as soon as 2024 in Paris and spark the next wave of global gaming.
