Inaugural ConnecTechAsia is a success

ConnecTechAsia, the inaugural mega technology event comprising BroadcastAsia, CommunicAsia and the new NXTAsia, drew close to 40,000 attendees from 96 countries and regions, and 1,800 exhibitors. Emerging technologies and digital disruption were hot topics.

“We are pleased to hold the first edition of ConnecTechAsia, which has a renewed format for a more immersive experience with insightful sessions and displays for our attendees that reflect the latest industry trends and technologies that are impacting governments, cities and businesses. We hope that the many partnerships and friendships forged will serve as a foundation for an even more diverse ecosystem and empower Asia as it evolves digitally,” said Victor Wong, Event Director for ConnecTechAsia, UBM.

Paul Marriott, Senior VP of Digital Core Solutions, SAP and a ConnecTechAsia Summit speaker said, “Asia is an exciting region with its rapid digitalisation and growth. Enabling enterprises in their journey towards digital evolution to be at the frontier of their respective industries is a core focus for us at SAP. ConnecTechAsia has been a great platform for us to build key relationships with governments and global businesses to foster greater collaboration and innovation.”

The event saw several Asian launches. PepperStack Global, with the support of the Victorian government of Australia, launched their new NeatStreets Around Me and Micro-compensation feature sets into the Southeast Asian markets, which allow the public to serve as “human sensors” and report on safety-related matters using their mobile devices. Ultimately, this enhances the uptime and efficiency of public utilities.

Forsway, a Swedish technology provider, released the Odin F-50 hybrid satellite router to the Asian market, enabling affordable broadband Internet to consumers in regions lacking reliable internet access. 

Source: UBM. AsiaSat drew the crowd to its booth at CommunicAsia.

AsiaSat, a satellite operator in Asia, also announced its collaboration with KBZ to provide over the top (OTT) satellite video service in Myanmar.

The inaugural Thailand Connect seminar, co-organised with Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), saw the announcement of five core themes that are a focal point for the Thai government. These are big data, digital manpower, cybersecurity, the income inequality gap, and digital transformation 4.0.

“There is a pressing need for businesses and the workforce to transform themselves digitally, in order to keep our competitive edge here in a fast-evolving region. Thailand presents huge opportunities for investors with our rapidly expanding economy and skilled workforce,” said Teeranun Srihong, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa). 

“Over the next five years we are embarking on new initiatives such as the development of 500,000 skilled digital professionals and the Digital Park Thailand, a new economic zone to drive digital business innovation and investment with global digital players.”

The need to cater to a growing, digital audience is also pushing the boundaries of “live” production for broadcasters. Summit speaker Charles Sevior, CTO, Unstructured Data Solutions, Dell EMC, which also had an exhibit on the showfloor, highlighted the need for traditional broadcasters to evolve in a transforming media landscape and be agile, shifting beyond traditional single-use solutions towards virtualised, flexible IP-based solutions. 

Source: UBM: ST Engineering showcasing innovations in the Internet of Things (IoT) at NXTAsia.

“In an era where mobile devices are drawing attention from outdoor advertising, brands need to innovate further to engage the digital consumer in an impactful way. We look forward to working with our partners to maximise their brand exposure in Asia, whose fast growing economies are driving growing demand for consumer goods,” said Vadzim Tsitou, Kino-mo Partner in Asia.


ST Engineering and the SP Group announced Singapore’s first pay-per-use IoT-as-a-service platform trial, which will enable organisations to move into the IoT space and bring their services faster and closer to their customers without a costly investment on infrastructure, connectivity and data analytics.

Potential applications include building smart, green buildings to public safety systems, transport, and public amenities such as street lighting, energy and water resource management.

Returning for the third year, OTSAW Digital unveiled the production version of its outdoor OR-3 autonomous robot, which leverages on AI, 3D mapping and self-driving technologies to patrol the streets and augment security patrols. OR-3 is set to undergo trials with government agencies in the coming months in Singapore. 

The KaHa booth featured smart clothing.

 
KaHa, an end-to-end smart wearable technology company, unveiled its range of smart body and wellness-monitoring apparel that leverage on smart sensors and IoT to monitor one’s heart rate, VO2 max - the measurement of the maximum amount of oxygen that is being used during intense exercise - and electrocardiograms (ECGs) via a mobile app.

“IoT is revolutionising our world and today it is at the favourable intersection of affordability and availability, thus driving innovation. KaHa’s smart apparel range is the first to seamlessly integrate such sensors invisibly within a comfortable, washable fabric and allow people to realise their fitness and health goals through real-time monitoring of their vital stats,” said Pawan Gandhi, Founder & CEO of KaHa and Summit speaker. 

ConnecTechAsia will return for its 2019 edition from 18-20 June at Marina Bay Sands and Suntec Singapore. Visit  for more information. The event is organised by UBM, which in June 2018 combined with Informa to become a B2B information services group and the largest B2B events organiser in the world. 

Explore:

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about ConnecTechAsia's opening

View the ConnecTechAsia photo album on Facebook