Building a Digitally-Ready Nation and Connecting Communities through Technology

Festival sees more than 250 volunteers from SGTech member companies participating

Singapore - 28 April, 2018: Bringing technology closer to the public is a central theme for the TECH4Community Festival- a collaboration between SGTech, the organisation advocating the technology industry previously known as Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). A corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, TECH4Community will be at Our Tampines Hub over two days, on 28 and 29 April 2018. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information is the Guest-of-Honour for the event.

Bringing technology closer to the public

2. TECH4Community Festival, now in its second iteration, aims to support all segments of our community, be it the youth or elderly, to participate meaningfully in a digitally-enabled society. The event will showcase the latest technology, and provide practical, hands-on tutorials and coaching on the use of technology. This will enable more Singaporeans, especially the less digitally-savvy, to leverage technology in their daily activities for a more engaged and connected lifestyle. This year, at the TECH4Community Festival, SGTech will lead the efforts showcasing digital transformation at the workplace and preparing the community for the digital economy.

3. TECH4Community Festival will see more than 20 SGTech members and over 250 volunteers participating, anchored by technology companies including the support of Accenture, Dell EMC, Liquidpay, Microsoft, NETS, and Oracle. Other supporting entities include EZSofe, findjobs, Institute of Technical Education, M1, Reidao, Singapore Land Authority, TrendMicro, and Tueetor. Volunteers from SGTech member companies and partners will help participants understand how technology impacts their work and gain the knowledge required to remain relevant and competitive in the workplace. They will learn practical uses for technologies like blockchain, cyber security, cloud technology, robotics, virtual reality and internet of things (IoT).

New Partnership with ITE to reach out to Community

4. As part of efforts to familiarize all segments of the community with the use of technology, IMDA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to collaborate in equipping citizens with basic digital skills and in promoting coding and digital making in the community. ITE has also pledged to continue being part of the corporate Friends of Silver Infocomm¹ with their students as volunteers, which will add an intergenerational element for community bonding between the young and the seniors. ITE will also come on board as one of the 30 over Silver Infocomm Junctions where seniors can visit to attend accessible and affordable infocomm training through a customized curriculum. Furthermore, the partnership will also see the development of technological solutions to equip Persons with Disabilities with the skillsets to support independent living.

5. “Building a digitally-ready nation requires the effort of many in the community. We are heartened that partners like SGTech and ITE have stepped forward to strengthen our Digital Readiness outreach efforts, and empower Singaporeans with the confidence to use technology in their daily activities,” Ms. Koh Li-Na, Senior Director, Digital Readiness Cluster at IMDA.

6. “TECH4Community Festival has been a great platform for the tech community to come together as a group, to help bridge the digital divide in Singapore,” said Ho Seong Kim, Organising Chairman for TECH4Community Festival, SGTech. “With strong support by the tech community, as well as IMDA and other organisations, we are reaching out to wider segments of the population, helping accelerate our push towards a smart nation and to do so in a way that is beneficial to all Singaporeans.”

Key Highlights at the TECH4Community 2018 include:

• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Ceremony between IMDA and ITE on Sat, 28 Apr 18, 12.30 pm, graced by Mr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information
• TECH4Community Workshop: Coding for Youth@Tech4Community by Microsoft – Tampines Regional Library (PIXEL Labs@NLB, Level 4); 28 April – Full Day, 11:00 am - 1:30pm, 3 pm – 5:30pm and 29 April – Half Day, 10am – 12:30pm. Youths are invited to code Flappy Bird and Minecraft! Fun for the whole family that engages the next generation of coders through games.
• Digital TV Carnival by IMDA at Our Tampines Hub, 28-29 April
  In conjunction with TECH4Community Festival, IMDA will also be organizing the first Digital TV (DTV) Carnival to educate the public on the ease to switch to DTV and provide assistance to help eligible households redeem their DTV Starter Kit.

For more info on the DTV Carnival, please refer to the Annex.
DTV Carnival Factsheet (556.77KB)
DTV Event Highlights (123.13KB) 

¹Friends of Silver Infocomm promotes active volunteerism to those who have a passion to help seniors hop onto the digital bandwagon. This is a programme under IMDA’s Silver Infocomm Initiative.

JOINTLY ISSUED BY THE SG Tech AND THE INFOCOMM MEDIA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

About SG Tech

SGTech is an active and responsible advocate of the technology industry in Singapore. With the evolving technology landscape, SGTech strives to create an ecosystem to anticipate changing technology trends and develop sustainable initiatives that can further strengthen the community and help the industry grow. SGTech’s 700 members range from innovative start-ups, vibrant small and medium-sized enterprises to top multinational corporations that leverage technology as a core driver of their business.

For more information, visit www.sgtech.org.sg or follow SGTech on Linkedin SGTech ; Facebook SGTechSocial ; Twitter @SGTechSocial

About Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) leads Singapore’s digital transformation with infocomm media. To do this, IMDA will develop a dynamic digital economy and a cohesive digital society, driven by an exceptional infocomm media (ICM) ecosystem – by developing talent, strengthening business capabilities, and enhancing Singapore's ICM infrastructure. IMDA also regulates the telecommunications and media sectors to safeguard consumer interests while fostering a pro-business environment, and enhances Singapore’s data protection regime through the Personal Data Protection Commission.

For more news and information, visit www.imda.gov.sg or follow IMDA on Facebook IMDAsg and Twitter @IMDAsg.

For more information, please contact:

Arcis Communications on behalf of SGTech

Raymond Tan
Mobile: 9673-9029
Email: raymond@arciscomunications.com

Gene Yeo
Mobile: 9836-8219
Email: gene@arciscommunications.com

Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)

Loh Wei-Shan
DID: 6202 4411
Email: loh_wei_shan@imda.gov.sg

Rozlin Vanzandt
DID: 6202 4940
Email: Rozlin_vanzandt@imda.gov.sg