2008 has been a good year for IDM. 2 years into the programme, an IDM eco-system is taking shape, evidenced by the burgeoning number of world-class research players that are establishing a presence in Singapore, a budding IDM industry, and growing numbers of young startups, incubators and global contributors.

To date, 500 RSEs (researchers, scientists and engineers) have been engaged. We have also attracted some of the best universities around Asia, Europe and US to jointly establish R&D centres with our IHLs Thus far, we have established – or are in the process of establishing – 7 joint centres.

10 specialized incubators have committed to nurture over 400 start-ups and develop 2,000 entrepreneurial talents from across the country. Some 400 of our young technoprenuers, including many overseas students and permanent residents, are taking their ideas to market.

Further, we have mobilized over 60 VCs, angels and incubators to support these startups once they are ready to seek more funding. In parallel, we have been able to draw on the support of key leading global players such as Apple, Microsoft and HP to extend their technological and to-market outreach to help our startups access the global market. A number of our startups are already serving millions users in more than 200 countries, and becoming leading players in key IDM sub-sectors.

Further ahead, we want to imbue the ecosystem with a spirit of innovation and a culture of R&D. We need the industry to embrace R&D as its engine for growth, private-sector activism to help groom and grow our startups for global reach, and inspiring result outcomes to secure a stake in the next generation media.

A look at our Milestones in 2008

January

• The International Expert Panel (IEP) met on 14-16 Jan 08 to evaluate 27 proposals submitted for the second call for IDM in Education. The results were announced on 24 Mar 08. MOE awarded $4.13M to 4 research proposals on education.

February

• The IDMPO has developed a concept to tie in existing areas of IDM R&D and provide focus for the sector. Referring to this as “Co-Space”, we expect this to be the cornerstone of the next generation media.

March

• MOE launched the third call on 24 Mar 08, focusing on the use of IDM for participatory learning to bridge formal and informal learning environments as well as for alternative modes of assessment.

April

• Nanyang Technological University launched the Institute for Media Innovation (IMI), which would bring together 100 researchers from a range of disciplines, including art and design, engineering and education, focusing on the mega-trends in IDM research today such as next-generation multimedia search, advanced “intelligence” in media, as well as innovative digital cinema and television.

June

• MediaCorp Technologies to set up their Interactive Digital Lab. The IDM Lab, housed in Caldecott Broadcast Centre, will work with renowned research institutions e.g. A*Star, NUS, NTU in R&D areas such as scalable Video Coding, Video indexing, search and retrieval system, Interactive Mobile, P2P streaming technology and Language Translation.Read more.

July

• Local IDM startups and companies get a boost in their pockets thanks to the i.MATCH initiative, which aimed at bridging funding gaps in local IDM sector. The initiative meant to help raise the investment needed by IDM companies to further commercialise and develop their products and their companies.Read more.
• The Keio University, a top institute in Japan, sets up a research centre here with the National University of Singapore. Some 50 researchers from Japan and Singapore will be involved in the Centre. .Read more
• Singapore’s Interactive Digital Media sector was given a S$70 million boost. The money will be set aside to attract more international research centres to partner local institutes of higher learning and set up research centres in Singapore.

August

• Working with IDMPO, Hewlett-Packard is now calling Singapore IDM companies to submit their mediascape proposals using HP’s mScape software. Read more.

September

• 13 projects from local universities will be given a total of $18 million for IDM R&D in Co-Space technologies. This marks the second round of grants handed out to promote research in IDM. Read more.

October

• 15 firms that were selected from the inaugural Co-Space Industry Call for Proposals, received $12m from the IDMPO for digital media projects. The funding is expected to achieve for Singapore an increase of some $37 million in total business spending, 240 new jobs, and create platforms and services that will support some 1,300 third-party applications. Read more.
• The Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF), together with the IDM Research and Development Programme Office (IDMPO), will offer up to S$10 million worth of funding for a new mentorship programme. Read more.
• Team GAMBIT won Microsoft’s global Xbox game development challenge, beating 7800 participants from 100 countries.

November

• Our attempt to become a port-of-call for digital media companies is starting to materialise with more gaming studios and animation companies docking their regional operations in the city-state. Read more.
• Singapore’s fledgling online video game industry has attracted European animation giant Rainbow, which is investing $25 million to create a new game here. Read more.

December

• Singapore can become a world-class media hotbed, say participants of the first Asian edition of SIGGRAPH, one of the world’s most renowned trade shows on computer graphics and interactive techniques. Industry heavyweights Lucasfilm, Pixar, Autodesk and others at the show are bullish about Singapore’s investments in this sector. Read more.
• Singapore is trying to position itself as a media powerhouse. The republic announced a billion-dollar media hub, the Mediapolis, which will be completed by 2020.
• GAME developers here will now be able to create games using free software and publish them on an established online marketplace. They also get a chance to apply for a $50,000 grant to develop these games. Microsoft Singapore said the Republic’s game developers will be the first in Asia, ahead of more mature markets like Japan and Korea, to publish games online on its Community Games Channel. Read more.