ACCELERATING TECH & CREATIVE STARTUPS
I am very pleased to be here on this fine morning, to see the eagerness of our local tech start ups and to see our accelerator program taking a baby step forward towards the digital future. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) together with Penang @CAT, TE4P and Khazanah to come out with IoT Accelerator Lite, a startup pre-accelerator program in Penang. Thank you for bringing together ideas and resources to allow our thriving local creative start ups to move up a step further in building their business and the next generation of smart devices.
EXCELLENT PLATFORM TO ENRICH ENTREPRENEURS AND FOUNDERS
Over 40 years Penang has thrived with our manufacturing cluster especially in the electronics industry, and we have come a long way in making this state one of the most livable cities in Malaysia.
With the emergence of the digital revolution we see a huge potential in the creative technology industry. To transform Penang into an international and intelligent city, we must embrace this new future of digital technology, especially in the growing fields of Big Data Analytics (BDA), cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT). In addition to the convergence of the manufacturing, services and public sector, the establishment of @CAT will unleash new synergies in both new and existing industries. I believe that in order for Penang to win the future, we have to invest not only in education but also master disruptive technology, innovation and automation. The @CAT is one of our initiatives to put us on track in BDA, cloud computing and IoT.
In this 21st century, the millennial generation is creative and the future game changers in the marketplace. We want to help to develop the innovation-driven millennial who want to build their own businesses and tech startups through the platform of @CAT. @CAT and our partners through this IoT Accelerator Lite Program will be an excellent platform for tech entrepreneurs and founders to catapult their company into greater heights. Nine teams with a total of twenty participants were involved in these 2 weeks IoT Accelerator Lite Program. Out of this, 2 of the best teams have been selected and will be sent to Hong Kong to experience the IoT ecosystem there.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our accelerator partner, Brinc, who have travelled from Hong Kong and is the world’s first end-to-end integrated platform designed to support global IoT entrepreneurs. We hope that this program won’t be the last, and instead the first of many more IoT accelerator program. We hope to have Brinc as a permanent accelerator partner.
@CAT IN INNOVATING TALENTS AND CREATING SUCCESSFUL STARTUPS
I believe Penang has a unique tech start-up scene made up of a close community of local start-ups and founders involved in various activities ranging from e-commerce, mobile applications, IoT, and many more. As our local tech start-ups are scattered all over Penang, this @CAT space serves as a platform and launch pad in bringing the tech-startup community under one roof and provide the necessary support and services to build a strong ecosystem.
As for the supply of talent for start-up company, Penang has already started with the ‘Coding Shophouse’ program early June this year. This program is aimed at providing opportunities to Penang’s tech and non tech community in learning programming and improving career marketability.
CREATING FUTURE AND LIVING DREAMS
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have always envisaged Penang as a platform for dream makers to make their dreams come true. We also aspire to win the future with our very own unique capabilities. That is why we are now doing as much and as best as we can to lay the foundations to transform Penang into high-income knowledge economy.
We will strive to enhance capacity, capability and competency in Penang’s creative industry because we believe that Penang has the 3Ts to establish a creative cluster, the Talent, Technology and Tolerance of new ideas. We believe that our most passionate value of freedom will allow @CAT to produce world-class content and be a national hub for multi-media information and digital content services.
The Penang State government has invested RM23 millions to refurbish this heritage building and rent it on a 30 years lease. We are open to new ideas to how to make @CAT work.
I wish to thank all of you for finding time to attend this closing ceremony and with a great honor; I now close the IoT Accelerator Lite Program.
Thank you.