The 26th World Congress on Innovation and Technology 2022 (WCIT 2022) has finally ended in Penang on 16th September 2022 as the largest and most prestigious technology and innovation conference to date in Malaysia. The bustling three-day WCIT 2022 began on 13 September 2022, and was attended by more than 4,000 delegates from over 60 countries.
More than RM46 billion worth of foreign and domestic digital investments were announced at WCIT 2022 through the inking of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between some of the biggest companies in the global technology and digital arena. These agreements are set to further progress Malaysia’s technological advancements, as the country seeks to bridge the gap not only within South East Asia, but also with the rest of the world.
Among those signed today were between Angkasa-X and Ideal Property Group; IHEAL Medical Group and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste; Digital Penang and Microsoft; along with Securemetric and AVM Cloud. PIKOM were also successful in signing MoUs with the Centre for Sustainability Intelligence, the Russian National Software Developers Association (RUSSOFT), ASSESPRO Brazil, 88 Captains, Huawei and the ASEAN China RCEP Chamber.
Confident that these investments will serve Malaysia in multiple ways, PIKOM Chairman Dr. Seah said, “The success of WCIT 2022 certainly cannot be overlooked as we have minimised the technological divide between Malaysia and some of the most developed countries in the world. We have also secured more than 25,000 new job opportunities through foreign and domestic digital investments. We will continuously seek to improve infrastructure, increase employment, foster technological innovation and ultimately, advance forward as a nation actively pursuing technological excellence.”
The closing ceremony also announced Kuching, Sarawak, as the new WCIT host in the forthcoming year. Malaysia will be the second country to host WCIT thrice, and the first in Asia to do so. Such an honour speaks volumes of the country’s finesse in hosting events on a global scale.
Chief Minister of Penang, Right Honourable Mr. Chow Kon Yeow, expressed “WCIT 2022 has positively positioned Penang on the world map as a global technological and innovation hub. Besides being home to some of the world’s leading tech companies, the successful fruition of this event has demonstrated that this ‘Silicon Island’ has even greater potential to thrive as the centre for innovation and technological advancements. I would like to therefore congratulate everyone, especially all participants and stakeholders of WCIT 2022 for making this what I believe to be the best iteration yet in the event’s history.”
The 5 SEADragon Unicorn Winners was also conducted during the closing. They are Angkasa-X Innovation, iHeal Medical Group, Magnus Games Studio, MDT Innovations Sdn Bhd, ReSkills Edtech, SkyeChip Sdn Bhd, Swift Bridge Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd and WeAssist Sdn Bhd
Prior to WCIT 2022, PIKOM conducted training sessions to select and prepare these Malaysian high-growth startups for a chance to pitch their businesses at the event. The five announced winners will now have regional and global investors catalysing their businesses’ expansion.
While WCIT 2022 has closed its curtain, TechFest 2022 continues to open at Setia Arena, Penang till 18 September 2022 to the public. TechFest 2022 , a five-day experiential technology festival exposing the public to different innovative and futuristic aspects of technology within lifestyle and business. The programme includes interactive exhibits, games and demonstrations centred around exciting themes such as robotics, drone technology, 5G zones and space technology.
Go to www.techfest2022.com for more details on TechFest 2022.