SINGAPORE'S next generation of digital media whizzes are being grown with money from a $500 million fund that has gone into building digital classrooms, as well as promising commercial ventures by start-up companies and MNCs.
And now, funding will also go to research projects by companies in digital media, the Media Development Authority (MDA) said yesterday.
In the last two years, money from the Interactive Digital Media Programme Office (IDMPO) has helped 120 start-ups, and provided seed money for 68 other companies.
Funds have also gone to 64 schools and educational institutions to help them enhance teaching through digital media.
Among them was a project by the National Institute of Education to develop a multi-player game on mobile phones that would facilitate learning.
Started in 2006, the IDMPO aims to fuel the growth of interactive digital media and its research and development (R&D). To be disbursed over five years, it has more than six funding schemes now.
MDA revealed where the money had gone at yesterday's Computer Games, Multimedia & Allied Technology (CGAT) conference but would not say how much had been given.
It hopes to fuel the growth of the media sector from $4.7 billion in 2005 to $10 billion by 2015, and add 10,000 jobs.
'Singapore has a chance to create the next breakthrough in media,' said Mr Michael Yap, deputy CEO and programme director of IDMPO, at the event.
Interactive digital media can encompass the areas of gaming, next generation Web and mobile technology, to name a few.
First Meta, a virtual credit card company in virtual worlds like Second Life, received funding in 2007 for R&D and manpower. Founder Aileen Sim said it saved her a lot of the heartache that most start-ups face.
'The money allowed us to do up prototypes and other costly research. It also opened doors to investors, who saw us as more credible,' said Ms Sim, who added that her company's monthly revenue has hit the mid six-figures now.
With funding from IDMPO, it is currently working on converting virtual game currency into money that can be used in real life.
Mr Yap also announced that firms can start applying for new, additional funding for its latest initiative, Future of Media.
The money is to encourage companies to innovate and conduct research on next-generation media applications in television, mobile phones, virtual worlds or three-dimensional Web, books and games. MDA will accept and fund 50 to 100 companies to work on each 'future' field.
It wants to work these future services and applications into its massive virtual city, Co-Space, first launched about a year ago as its answer to Second Life.
IDMPO is a testament to how funding can water growth.
Between September 2007 and September last year, applications from start-ups applying for seed money of up to $50,000 leapt threefold.
- The Straits Times
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
May 12, 2009
Mar 12, 2009
MDA to spend $250m to create 2,000 jobs
Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) is spending S$250 million to create and support some 2,000 jobs in the media industry this year.
The bulk of the spending will be used to stimulate a strong pipeline of high-value and exportable projects.
To this end, the MDA is calling for proposals for public service programmes and original TV concepts that leverage on various digital media distribution avenues and partnerships.
It aims to support 2,380 hours of broadcast content this year -- 200 hours more than last year.
MDA is also calling for proposals to help transform Singapore into a digital music hub.
At its annual Media Business Forum on Thursday, MDA launched a "Future of Media" initiative that aims to establish strategic partner networks amongst local and international new media companies.
It is setting aside $6 million to fund programmes to train and upgrade media manpower, which is expected to benefit 6,000 media talents this year.
It has also launched a Media Training and Attachment programme to give local talent and media professionals global exposure and work opportunities.
- Channel News Asia
The bulk of the spending will be used to stimulate a strong pipeline of high-value and exportable projects.
To this end, the MDA is calling for proposals for public service programmes and original TV concepts that leverage on various digital media distribution avenues and partnerships.
It aims to support 2,380 hours of broadcast content this year -- 200 hours more than last year.
MDA is also calling for proposals to help transform Singapore into a digital music hub.
At its annual Media Business Forum on Thursday, MDA launched a "Future of Media" initiative that aims to establish strategic partner networks amongst local and international new media companies.
It is setting aside $6 million to fund programmes to train and upgrade media manpower, which is expected to benefit 6,000 media talents this year.
It has also launched a Media Training and Attachment programme to give local talent and media professionals global exposure and work opportunities.
- Channel News Asia
Mar 5, 2009
Media industry still hiring despite recession and layoffs
Singapore's media industry is aggressively training and recruiting professionals in support of the burgeoning sector.
The Media Development Authority (MDA) says some 10,000 jobs are expected to be created in the industry over the next six years.
But more immediate are the jobs and apprenticeship places on offer within the creative industries and by the multi-agency Interactive Digital Media Research and Development Programme Office.
Amid the gloomy economic environment, there is a bright spark within the fast changing media industry.
Minister of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) Lee Boon Yang said: "Despite the recession and retrenchments, the demand for creative talent remains robust with companies still on the lookout for good staff."
The good news is that the media industry tends to do better during a downturn.
CEO of MDA, Christopher Chia, said: "It is said that sometimes it is actually anti-cyclical. If the economy generally goes down, the media sector actually comes up and one reason we found behind this is that it (media) allows people to be actually entertained at a cost much lower than say, to travel somewhere else. So it does allow a lot of consumption to actually happen."
For a start, some 300 skilled jobs and over 400 apprenticeship places are on offer within the creative industries.
Another 450 jobs will be created over the next one to two years for start-ups within the Interactive and Digital Media sector.
This will be done through supporting 150 iJAM Jump-start and Mentor projects to the tune of S$50,000 per project.
On top of that, up to 6,000 individuals are expected to get media training this year.
Dr Chia said: "The whole idea is really a continuum of skills -- from very experienced people who need to upgrade to people who are thinking of moving into this sector. So it's conversion skills as well."
Dr Lee says companies like Japanese game studio Koei Entertainment plans to double the size of its operations in Singapore adding up to 60 new staff over the next two years.
Likewise, Ubisoft is looking to expand its headcount from 50 to 300, while Lucasfilms' studio in Singapore is also expanding and looking to hire digital artists.
Separately, a public service broadcast animation programme called "Once Upon A Cyberspace", targetted at 10 to 14 year olds, was also launched.
The aim of the programme is to raise awareness on responsible use of new media.
The series comprises six short clips which are slated for broadcast on April 6 and will run for six weeks.
The initiative comes under the S$10 million Cyber Wellness fund.
To find out more about the changing media landscape, you can come down to the four-day exhibition at Marina Square.
There are also 40 fringe activities to be held islandwide during the entire month of March. The idea is to get people interested, boost consumption and hopefully attract the right kind of people for when the economic upswing happens.
- Channel News Asia
The Media Development Authority (MDA) says some 10,000 jobs are expected to be created in the industry over the next six years.
But more immediate are the jobs and apprenticeship places on offer within the creative industries and by the multi-agency Interactive Digital Media Research and Development Programme Office.
Amid the gloomy economic environment, there is a bright spark within the fast changing media industry.
Minister of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) Lee Boon Yang said: "Despite the recession and retrenchments, the demand for creative talent remains robust with companies still on the lookout for good staff."
The good news is that the media industry tends to do better during a downturn.
CEO of MDA, Christopher Chia, said: "It is said that sometimes it is actually anti-cyclical. If the economy generally goes down, the media sector actually comes up and one reason we found behind this is that it (media) allows people to be actually entertained at a cost much lower than say, to travel somewhere else. So it does allow a lot of consumption to actually happen."
For a start, some 300 skilled jobs and over 400 apprenticeship places are on offer within the creative industries.
Another 450 jobs will be created over the next one to two years for start-ups within the Interactive and Digital Media sector.
This will be done through supporting 150 iJAM Jump-start and Mentor projects to the tune of S$50,000 per project.
On top of that, up to 6,000 individuals are expected to get media training this year.
Dr Chia said: "The whole idea is really a continuum of skills -- from very experienced people who need to upgrade to people who are thinking of moving into this sector. So it's conversion skills as well."
Dr Lee says companies like Japanese game studio Koei Entertainment plans to double the size of its operations in Singapore adding up to 60 new staff over the next two years.
Likewise, Ubisoft is looking to expand its headcount from 50 to 300, while Lucasfilms' studio in Singapore is also expanding and looking to hire digital artists.
Separately, a public service broadcast animation programme called "Once Upon A Cyberspace", targetted at 10 to 14 year olds, was also launched.
The aim of the programme is to raise awareness on responsible use of new media.
The series comprises six short clips which are slated for broadcast on April 6 and will run for six weeks.
The initiative comes under the S$10 million Cyber Wellness fund.
To find out more about the changing media landscape, you can come down to the four-day exhibition at Marina Square.
There are also 40 fringe activities to be held islandwide during the entire month of March. The idea is to get people interested, boost consumption and hopefully attract the right kind of people for when the economic upswing happens.
- Channel News Asia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)