Asia’s flagship technology event, Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG) 2022 took place from 31st May to 3rd June 2022 in Singapore. A return back to face-to-face exhibitions/conferences/events, it was great to be able to attend ATxSG technology conferences/exhibitions again (CommunicAsia, BroadcastAsia).
With reopening of Singapore’s borders, along with relaxation of safety management measures, ATxSG 2022 brought together 16,600 hybrid attendees from 93 countries and regions, and 26,000 event visits. Held at the Singapore Expo, ATxSG 2022 hosted 600 exhibitors showcasing their latest tech products and services, and more than 350 speakers who shared expert insights across 200 conference sessions.
Attendees at ATxSG 2022 were presented with insights from top-notch thought-leaders from both the public and private sectors, covering the latest technology trends, challenges, and opportunities arising from the ongoing digitalisation of the economy. During my visits to ATxSG 2022, I tried to balance between attending talks and visiting the booths by the exhibitors. There were some very interesting and insightful talks that I managed to attend and listen.
“In collaboration with our partners, we successfully gathered more than 2,000 guests and 80 speakers from 30 countries to discuss current and emerging tech issues and the opportunities to harness the power of digital, to build an inclusive digital future. Singapore also announced our commitment to grow trust in the digital domain with the launch of the National Digital Trust Centre, stepped up our efforts to contribute to the Global Partnership on AI and furthered regional cooperation through a new MoU with Brunei. We would like to thank our esteemed partners, speakers and guests for truly making ATxSummit 2022 a success, and we look forward to them coming back for a more impactful ATxSG 2023,” said Ms. Foo Chi Hsia, Assistant Chief Executive, IMDA.
One of my key highlights at ATxSG 2022 was listening to Mr Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, he also made an appearance on-site at the ATxEnterprise Headliners to discuss the ongoing technology revolution and how governments and industries can best leverage technology to aid global change.
ATxSG 2022 MOUs and announcements
At ATxSG 2022, participating exhibitors inked several memoranda of understanding (MOU) and made announcements that reaffirmed Singapore and Asia’s continued attractiveness to attract global digital-first disruptors, as well being a regional home to some of the world’s largest and fastest growing digital economies. Here are some of the MOUs and announcements:
- NCS Telco+ signed an MOU announcing its partnership with Advanced Info Service (AIS), Thailand’s leading provider of mobile services and mobile network operator, to address the digital transformation needs of AIS and other enterprises in the country. The agreement formalises NCS’ support for the digitalisation journey of AIS and the pursuit of joint projects in 5G and IoT transformation, cloud and cybersecurity, enabling enterprises in Thailand to benefit from the combined strengths of AIS’ market leadership and the digital services capabilities of NCS.
- Global infrastructure as a service (IaaS) company, OneQode, signed an MOU with PLDT Global, the international arm of the Philippines’ largest integrated telco network PLDT Inc. This will help fast-track the deployment of OneQode’s cloud presence in Manila, allowing users in the Philippines to access OneQode’s network and cloud. A presence in Manila will also provide existing OneQode users in Singapore with a redundant connection, should disruptions occur between Guam and Singapore.
- Quebec-based QSTC Inc, which provides advanced space engineering solutions, signed an agreement with PT. Wahana Telekomunikasi Dirgantara (WTD), a leading provider of satellite services to satellite fleet operators and end customers with in-orbit satellites as a business for their fleets. The agreement sees QSTC Inc providing turnkey UHTP Ka and Q/V band services satellites using a dedicated smart Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite. The satellite will provide coverage over Southeast Asia while demonstrating new and innovative digital communication payloads.
Networking and business opportunities for exhibitors at ATxSG 2022
From C-Suite or key decision makers at their respective organisations, to the delegates and visitors, ATxSG presented significant networking and business opportunities for exhibitors.
- Mr. Jared Ching, Business Development Manager at DeepBrain AI Inc, a Korean company focused on the use of AI to create lifelike human-based avatars, said: “The event is well-organised, and we are happy with the overall results of our participation at ATxSG. Exposure and turnout were good, with our booth receiving significant foot traffic. This is the first time DeepBrain AI has participated at ATxSG, but we’ll definitely be back.”
- Mr. Zoro Jiang, Regional Sales Manager, SEA at iBwave, a telecom radio planning software provider, said: “This year’s in-person event is better than 2021’s fully virtual event that we participated in. We were initially anxious in view that this is our first physical event in Singapore, especially as it took place post-COVID-19, but we’re happy with the high-quality leads that we captured. We’re satisfied with how the overall event turned out, and we will most likely be a part of the Canadian Pavillion again next year.”
- Mr. Kenneth Cheng, Director of Sales, Asia Pacific at NuraLogix Corporation, one of Canada’s fast rising tech companies, said: “ATxSG was the first exhibition in Southeast Asia that NuraLogix participated in to raise awareness of Anura, our patented, science-backed, award winning world’s first contactless blood pressure and health vital sign monitoring solution through a 30 second facial scan. We are extremely encouraged by the number of visitors to our booth trying this state-of-the-art technology, which included international delegates from verticals such as health tech, insurance, automotive, smart home, smart city, wellness, telecommunication, creating significant business leads for NuraLogix. The resumption of physical events and the interaction was a refreshing change from the past two years, and we look forward to the next iteration of ATxSG in 2023.”
- Ms. Audrey Leong, Founder and CEO, at FloatingOn, a Singapore startup that delivers sustainable life and work solutions that float on water, said: “We are delighted to have successfully showcased our sustainable floating accommodations at InnovFest x Elevating Founders, one of the co-located events at ATxSG. Our participation at the event was fruitful, having met many potential business partners and investors, including venture capitalists (VCs), accelerators, incubators, as well as business and government decision-makers interested in green technology solutions. Face-to-face interactions at the event facilitated deeper and more meaningful conversations and exchange of ideas, helped start or build relationships, and provided an important platform for startups like FloatingOn to launch and showcase our innovative products and solutions.”
Visiting Start Ups at ATxSG 2022
Whenever possible, I would make a point to visit and check out start ups pavilion at various technology conferences/exhibitions. Visiting start ups at ATxSG 2022 was an eye opener for me, it’s good to see them back in action. While I am unable to visit and chat with all the start ups present, I tried my best to visit and check out as many as possible.
One of the start ups at ATxSG 2022 that came into my radar was FloatingOn. What their business were doing and developing caught my attention and interest, I went to check out their booth and I met Ms. Audrey Leong, Founder and CEO at FloatingOn, had a good chat with her, learning and understanding more about FloatingOn.
What is FloatingOn all about? They are a Singapore start-up, they also announced the launch of a sustainable solution in the form of accommodations that float on water. These modular units can utilise a diverse range of renewable energy sources, which can help land-scarce countries such as Singapore reduce waiting time and cost for new builds. They can also potentially contribute to the creation of an off-grid living environment that can help accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future.
ATxSG – Synergies and Opportunities
With the co-located events at ATxSG, talks and technology showcases, providing synergies and opportunities arising from various segments of the digital economy.
ATxSG has provided opportunities for both public and private sectors, from policymakers, global technology leaders , and public-private decision makers to network, debate, and exchange ideas on the latest technologies that would continue to drive digital innovation, changes and transformation across all sectors of society, thus impacting how people work, live, play and live with technology.
“We would like to congratulate IMDA and Informa Tech on a successful ATxSG, one of the largest business events to take place since the start of the pandemic. ATxSG has reaffirmed Singapore’s ability to stage effective in-person events, which strengthens our position as a leading MICE destination in a post-pandemic world. We look forward to its continued growth in the coming years as Asia’s flagship tech event,” said Mr. Yap Chin Siang, Deputy Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board.
“We are thrilled at the resounding success of ATxSG 2022. It demonstrates the welcomed return of large scale MICE events in Singapore, and the feedback we have received from our delegates, sponsors, exhibitors and partners has been very positive and encouraging,” said Mr. Tom Cuthell, Vice President of Global Festivals, Informa Tech. “The increasing pace of innovation and technological advancement will surface many new developments to explore and showcase, and we look forward to Informa’s continued role in shaping the region’s digital transformation with an even bigger, broader ATxSG in 2023.”
ATxSG 2023
ATxSG 2023 edition returns 6-9 June 2023, looking forward to 2023 edition. The world is still emerging from the lockdowns and downtime from the global pandemic over the 2020 to 2022 period, we should see an even bigger and better turnout for companies, exhibitors, speakers, delegates and visitors for ATxSG 2023.
* Information courtesy of ATxSG and Team Lewis *