Singapore and China Step Up Collaboration in Digital Media

A slate of 18 business deals and Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), signed yesterday in Shanghai, has ushered in deeper collaboration between digital media players in Singapore and China.

This was announced by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) at the China-Singapore Media Industry Exchange, which was held in conjunction with the Singapore Media Showcase at the Singapore Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo.

Dr Tan Chin Nam, Chairman, MDA, noted yesterday: "As China’s media industry makes tremendous strides and Singapore ramps up the development of its media sector, we believe there are many opportunities for companies from both countries to gain new ground through mutually beneficial partnerships, such as the line-up of digital media partnerships announced today."

The collaboration includes the S$100 million Gobi Singapore-China Media Venture Fund, which will be supporting early- to growth-stage digital media and technology companies in the two countries. To be managed out of Singapore by the China-based venture firm Gobi Partners, the fund will provide financial and incubation support to both Singapore companies venturing into China and Chinese companies wishing to internationalise through Singapore.

Another significant partnership is that between Singapore game company Mikoishi and China Information Broadcast Network (CIBN), which specialises in new media like digital TV, mobile phone TV and online games. The two companies will be collaborating on a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), which will be the first-ever Singapore-China co-developed game.

Under its cooperation MOU with Games Exchange Alliance, an industry network of over 50 Singapore game companies, the Shanghai Information Services Association will be leading delegations to Singapore and representing China in the Asia Pacific Games Association. The partnership is expected to create new opportunities for Singapore and China game companies seeking to expand overseas.

In the area of interactive digital media (IDM), Singapore company Veev Interactive will be partnering the state-owned Chinese Education Television (CETV). Their cooperation covers the co-development of Chinese Village, a 3D virtual learning community for Chinese language teaching and learning. The two companies will also be co-building the largest interactive TV network for campus (iTNC), which will allow schools to share resources.

Time Voyager, a past recipient of the iJAM grant from the IDM R&D Programme Office (IDMPO) hosted by MDA, also announced its acquisition of Azure Studio in Hangzhou. It is currently working on a large-scale 3D MMORPG, targeted to be launched in China at the end of this year.

For more information, read the full press release.

For the full slate of business deals and MOUs, please click here.

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