JOIN THE MOST TRANSFORMATIONAL EVENT OF THE YEAR - SINGAPORE, 12-13 DECEMBER 2022 - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Indonesia and Argentina are exploring opportunities for cooperation in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) during the recently held Digital Economy Ministers’ Meeting (DEMM).

The exploration of cooperation between the two countries was marked by a bilateral meeting between Johnny G Plate, Minister of Communication and Information, Indonesia and Micaela Sánchez Malcolm, Secretary of Public Innovation, Argentina.

The cooperation between the two countries can be carried out in the upstream or upstream sector of ICT in the form of disseminating fast connections (broadband) to connect the South American region to the Asian region.

Regarding downstream or downstream digital collaboration opportunities, Minister Johnny cited that it could be done through digital economic literacy and digital training by utilising various digital spaces owned by the two countries.

Indonesia and Argentina agreed to form a team to prepare for the continuation of the exploration plan, which includes a framework for cooperation, legal policies, an agreement, and a draft memorandum between the two parties.

Secretary Micaela, on the other hand, stated that through the cooperation built between the two countries, her party is optimistic that it will make the telecommunications connectivity network in Argentina become wider.

The Argentinian secretary hopes that cooperation between the two countries can happen soon since it’s important to have good communication networks nowadays because people’s needs are getting higher in the digital age.

Meanwhile, Minister Johnny and Minister of Technology and Digital Economy of the United Kingdom (United Kingdom) Damian Noel Thomas Collins have discussed the continuation of cooperation in the procurement of Indonesia’s Satellite (SATRIA 2).

Minister Johnny said the British government had committed to providing financial support for the procurement of green satellites with a capacity of 300 gigabytes per second (Gbps). He added that the discussion between the two ministers also discussed bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and the UK, particularly in upstream digital infrastructure.

He appreciated the British delegation’s support for the three priority issues that were brought up by Indonesia in the G20 DEWG such as connectivity and post-Covid -19 recovery, digital skill and digital literacy and the data free flow with trust and cross-border data flow.

Furthermore, the Japanese government through a research and educational network provides high-speed internet network assistance up to 100 gigabytes per second (Gbps) for 83 universities in Indonesia which are represented by the Indonesian Research and Education Network (IDREN) community and the Universitas Brawijaya (UB) during the ratification of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

With this initiative, the 100 Gbps network to IDREN, which is Indonesia’s research and education network, creates a great history for the future, not only for Indonesia but also for academics in the Asia-Pacific region for the sake of a resilient society. IDREN is a milestone for the future of the Asia-Pacific region for the sake of a resilient society.

Students, researchers, and lecturers will have access to high-definition data, cloud, AI computing and multimedia communications, plus collaboration opportunities with global universities and research institutions.

Indonesia is bringing together the governments, bilateral and multilateral organisations, civil society, and the corporate sector, among others, who are committed to enhancing the efficacy of their economic development partnerships as every nation recognises the need of collaboration as well as the significance of receiving international help for the growth of their economies.

Malaysia’s Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry announced that the Trade and Investment Mission to Japan was successful and resulted in the securement of investments worth RM9.30 billion in strategic and high-potential sectors such as E&E, Research & Development (R&D), biomass, information technology and communication, chemical industry and food.

Among them are new investment projects by a Japanese petroleum company and a company that specialises in the research, development, production and sale of microalgae products as well as investment expansion and diversification projects by a global chemical and speciality materials company, a Japanese telecommunications company and a Japanese multinational passive electronic components supplier. These investments are expected to generate employment opportunities, and skills training opportunities for local workers as well as contribute to the development of local vendors.

Additionally, RM300 million worth of potential trade was garnered from this TIM specifically for palm oil and palm oil-related products, halal and food and beverages products from one of the largest worldwide Sogo shosha general trading companies, and a Tokyo-based chemicals company.

The Senior Minister concluded the TIM in a bilateral meeting with the newly appointed Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Japan. Over the course of the meeting, they discussed a wide spectrum of areas including how best to take Malaysia-Japan bilateral trade and investment relations to the next level, considering both countries’ participation in the various regional trade agreements and international economic cooperation.

In this vein, both ministers exchanged views on the spins-offs and strategic multiplier effects to be derived from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).

As regards the MoU on Aircraft Industry Cooperation inked between Malaysia and Japan, both sides have outlined cooperation for information exchange for the aerospace supply chain, business networking, as well as forming a dedicated Technical Working Group.

Malaysia and Japan will participate in greater engagement for cooperation for the presentation showcase at the Engine Forum Kobe 2022 on 25 and 26 October. The Senior Minister also outlined Malaysia’s SDG goals and expressed commitment to work together with Japanese companies and industries to ensure a stable energy supply and renewable energy by working closely with major Japanese companies for R&D and hydrogen energy.

In line with the NIA, this Mission marked a greater emphasis accorded to the ESG agenda while intensifying Malaysia’s focus on the digital economy, E&E, pharmaceutical, chemical and aerospace sectors. In this regard, the Senior Minister met with the representatives of prominent Japanese companies which have expressed interest to invest or expand their businesses in Malaysia in these priority sectors, as well as with potential importers.

Japan is one of Malaysia’s top sources of FDI in terms of implemented manufacturing projects, with a total investment value of RM3.03 billion (USD688 million) recorded from January to June this year. A total of 13 manufacturing projects have been implemented, creating 745 employment opportunities for Malaysians. Japan is one of Malaysia’s top bilateral trading partners, with total trade recorded last year at RM149.76 billion (USD36.14 billion), an increase of 20.6% compared to 2020.

MITI is the key driver in making Malaysia the preferred destination for quality investments and enhancing the nation’s rising status as a globally competitive trading nation. Its objectives and roles are oriented toward ensuring Malaysia’s rapid economic development and helping achieve the country’s stated goal of becoming a developed nation.

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) alumni have launched a website, AskIITM, that allows IIT aspirants to directly reach out to IIT-Madras alumni and ask questions ranging from placements, faculty, and academics to campus culture at the Institute. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, all educational activities were shifted online. In the new normal, the Indian government continues to take advantage of websites and portals to provide free and easy access to information to anyone, anytime.

On AskIITM, answers to commonly received questions, including queries about the research done at the Institute, the facilities, and hostel amenities have already been posted.  The website allows anyone to ask a question related to the institute, which will be answered within 48 hours by a team of alumni and student volunteers. Those asking questions will be given a response via email and/or a message on their smartphone, and the new question will be visible on the site as well.

A press release by IIT-Madras quoted the Institute’s Director, V. Kamakoti, as saying that aspirants often go to social media to find information but there is so much information that it is confusing. The need for a credible source of information is imperative. “I am thrilled that the passionate alumni of this great institute are providing this via AskIITM. I am confident this is the start of a journey not just for IIT-M, but for Indian education overall,” he said. Alumni are best placed to answer questions about IIT-Madras since they have first-hand experience of both the Institution as well as placements after graduation.

As part of the AskIITM effort, the IIT-Madras Alumni Association is hosting interaction events in Chennai, Hyderabad, and Vijayawada between 2-4 September. There are also virtual tours of the campus and departments on 10-11 September.

The website is one of several initiatives developed by IIT-Madras focusing on offering guidance and tools for students online. Last month, the Institute’s National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) introduced an online portal to help students prepare for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).

The GATE is a national-level entrance exam that enables aspirants to seek admission for a master’s or PhD in IITs, IISc, or other premier institutions. Multiple PSUs recruit applicants based on the GATE score. Through the new portal, NPTEL aims to leverage its existing course contents on engineering and science domains from over 2,400-course portfolios, to provide video solutions, practice tests, and online assistance based on the GATE syllabus.

As OpenGov Asia reported, the NPTEL GATE portal is freely accessible to all students, with CSR support from one of the country’s leading travel technology organisations. NPTEL is a joint initiative of the IITs and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), a provider of free online certification courses. It has the world’s largest online repository of courses in basic sciences, engineering, and selected humanities and social sciences subjects. Nearly one million students will take the GATE exams next year and the portal strives to make the preparation journey easier for the aspirants.

A research team led by the Department of Ophthalmology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), alongside partners from the Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) and local and international partners, have developed a new technology ROTA (Retinal nerve fibre layer Optical Texture Analysis) to unveil the optical texture and trajectories of the axonal fibre bundles on the retina.

So far, ROTA has outperformed current clinical standards, attaining 15.0% to 28.4% higher sensitivity in detecting early optic nerve damage in glaucoma – the leading cause of irreversible blindness. The research has been published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

The most common form of neurodegenerative disease is glaucoma. While a clinical diagnosis of the disease is predicated on the measurement of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness which is typically determined via a non-invasive digital imaging device – optical coherence tomography (OCT) – false positives and false negatives are common.

Thus, it is difficult, even for glaucoma specialists, to obtain a clinical interpretation of OCT findings. This is supported by a meta-analysis reporting that the sensitivities of best-performing OCT parameters for detection of RNFL thickness abnormalities were only 65%-75% at specificities of 90%-95%.

ROTA is a patented algorithm (US Patent No. 10,918,275) that integrates RNFL thickness and RNFL reflectance measurements obtained from standard OCT scans to discern the optical texture and trajectories of the axonal fibre bundles and reveal RNFL defects.

The technology can detect focal RNFL defects that are missed by standard clinical tests. Compared with OCT, ROTA can increase the sensitivity of detecting early optic nerve damage in glaucoma by 15-22%. At 95% specificity, the sensitivity of ROTA was 97.3-98.4% for detection of early glaucoma, 15.0% to 28.4% higher than the current clinical standards.

HKUMed is working with the University of California San Diego (UCSD), the United States, to apply ROTA in research and patient care, while patients can find the application of ROTA at HKU Eye Centre and Southern District Hong Kong Eye Survey.

The CUHK Eye Centre of CU Medicine conducted a diagnostic study and examined 177 healthy individuals and 363 glaucoma patients. They found that ROTA attained a significantly higher sensitivity and specificity than conventional OCT RNFL thickness analysis to detect glaucoma1. Furthermore, ROTA was able to identify axonal fibre bundle damage in optic neuritis, ischemic optic neuropathy, and compressive optic neuropathy.

Professor Christopher Leung Kai-shun, Chairperson and Clinical Professor of the Department of Ophthalmology, School of Clinical Medicine, HKUMed stated that the team’s next steps include enrolling patients from Queen Mary Hospital, Grantham Hospital, and Hong Kong Eye Hospital for longitudinal studies to examine the effectiveness of ROTA for detection of glaucoma progression, as well as working with OCT industrial partners to deploy ROTA in clinical care. Furthermore, HKU Eye Centre welcomes patients with a questionable diagnosis of glaucoma for ROTA assessment.

Meanwhile, Professor Clement Tham Chee-yung, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and S.H. Ho Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, CU Medicine, noted that glaucoma can lead to irreversible loss of vision if it is not diagnosed and treated early. In Hong Kong, about 25% of irreversible blindness is caused by glaucoma, and there are more than 100,000 glaucoma patients suffering from various levels of visual disability.

It was added that achieving an earlier diagnosis of glaucoma and detection of progression through advanced imaging technologies is essential.

ROTA underpins a highly sensitive and specific technique to advance the diagnosis of glaucoma and optic neuropathies. ROTA will be deployed on the Advanced Nerve and Glaucoma Imaging Network (ANGI Network), which comprises ophthalmologists, neuro-ophthalmologists and clinical researchers around the world.

The committee members of ANGI Network include world-leading institutions in glaucoma research such as HKU, Asan Medical Center (Korea), Beyer Eye Institute at Stanford University (US), Moorfields Eye Hospital (UK), NTU Langone’s Eye Center (US), and University College London (UK).

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have created a framework to design new materials that mimic the fundamental principles concealed in nature’s growth patterns. The framework was inspired by the way termites construct their nests. The researchers demonstrated that it is possible to construct materials with programmable features by employing these criteria.

Chiara Daraio, the principal investigator, claims that although termites are only a few millimetres long, their nests can reach heights of up to four metres. The interior of a termite nest, she continued, is made up of a network of asymmetrical, interconnected structures like those seen inside a sponge or a loaf of bread; and it is deliberately designed for stability and ventilation.

Daraio thinks that by comprehending how a termite contributes to the construction of the nest, it may be possible to set straightforward guidelines for creating architectural materials with distinctive mechanical qualities.

Architected materials are foam-like or composite solids that serve as the building blocks for 3-D constructions that range in size from nano to micro. The field of architected materials has thus far mostly concentrated on periodic architectures, which are lattice structures made of repeated unit cells with consistent geometry, such as an octahedron or a cube.

The functionality and use of architectural materials have been constrained by the emphasis on organised structures. The algorithm, which Daraio and his team refer to as the “virtual growth programme,” mimics the emergence of termite nests or the organic growth of biological structures.

The virtual growth programme uses specific materials’ geometries, or building blocks, as well as adjacency rules for how those building blocks can attach to one another, as opposed to a grain of sand or a speck of dust.

Each construction block has a set restriction on its availability, simulating the scarce resources that termites would come across in the wild. The application creates an architecture on a grid using these limitations, and these structures can be converted into 2-D or 3-D physical models. The virtual growth programme tackles the undiscovered territory of disordered materials by modelling the construction of a termite’s nest rather than exactly recreating its design.

Caltech is attempting to change the old energy system of California by creating a “smart grid” – a flexible, responsive, efficient system that combines renewable energy sources while managing rising power demands.

Climate change is having an increasingly negative impact on California, from drought and water shortages to excessive temperatures. These difficulties underline the pressing need to switch to renewable energy sources like wind and solar from fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases. Hence, by 2045, California pledged to provide all its electric users with renewable and carbon-free energy.

Restructuring the power grid, the intricate web of hardware and software that delivers electricity to people’s doorsteps is an essential step in that shift. Caltech engineers, economists, mathematicians and computer scientists are developing and testing the foundations of tomorrow’s grid with assistance from public and commercial partners.

Their innovations range from the development of user-friendly hardware and algorithms that guarantee electrical vehicle (EV) charging stations draw power when it is accessible and affordable to the construction of novel economic frameworks that forbid market participants from manipulating energy pricing.

Based on the energy present on the grid, researchers have created mathematical methods that decide when to consume and when to preserve power. These methods address the issue of stabilising grid voltages despite fluctuating renewable energy supply. The distribution networks that transfer energy from larger substations to homes, businesses, streetlights, and other energy consumers in a region can adopt this new method.

The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) signed a University Technology Transfer and Collaboration Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the first time.

The two organisations have reached a cooperation consensus on the implementation of commercialisation strategies and a development blueprint in line with the government’s increasing innovation and technology (I&T) resources in recent years and its vision of developing Hong Kong into an international I&T centre.

The MoU enshrines collaboration between academia and research and development (R&D) centres to develop leading technologies, and leverage resources to enhance the quality of research, as well as facilitate the commercialisation process. It will help to introduce technology that is useful to the government, industry and society, supporting Hong Kong as it becomes an international smart city.

The collaboration between government agencies, the industry, academia and the R&D sector emphasises the importance of full participation and mutual support from stakeholders in the technology ecosystem. Intellectual property (IP) commercialisation is crucial for strengthening technology commercialisation. Intellectual property holding institutions can formulate rules and regulations and implement the corresponding measures necessary to maximise the economic and social benefits of their R&D outcomes.

The MoU was signed by the Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) of CUHK. Under the agreement, the two will determine the ownership of R&D outcomes through their respective IP rights to boost the commercialisation of R&D projects developed by both parties and CUHK’s affiliates and shorten the research time taken by joint projects and optimise resources to increase the effectiveness of R&D commercialisation.

The close cooperation between scientific research experts from both sides will not only improve the effectiveness of R&D and generate innovative technologies but will also help cultivate R&D talents.

Meanwhile, ASTRI and CUHK or its affiliates will jointly develop a set of standardised arrangements and procedures to determine inventive contributions, ownership of research outcomes of joint projects, funding arrangement, roles and responsibilities in project execution, IP protection, and others. The respective IP rights owned by ASTRI and CUHK will allow more opportunities for technology commercialisation, help local R&D become more practical and measurable, and advance the development of re-industrialisation.

The Chairman of ASTRI stated that in recent years, the I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong has been enriched. Interactions among the government, academia, R&D centres and industry have become more mature as well. This provides the best moment for nurturing and enriching the talent pool and improving the I&T ecosystem and eco-chain of development, furthering smart city development and strengthening the city’s positioning in the Greater Bay Area collaboration.

The Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI noted that the agency is working to establish itself as a leader in research and innovation, collaborating with local universities in research and development, and facilitating commercialisation of research outcomes, while providing practical assistance to some other universities in launching more I&T products to the market.

He noted that this collaboration with CUHK marks the beginning of an era, with the hope of safeguarding the intellectual property of future R&D products, establishing a good foundation for the manufacturing and re-industrialisation process to enhance the efficacy of technological development, people’s livelihoods and the economy of Hong Kong.

The CUHK Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) said that the MoU between CUHK and ASTRI will bring R&D institutes and universities closer together and align with the government’s goal of promoting I&T development. He added that he hopes both CUHK and ASTRI can take advantage of patented technologies to carry out influential, innovative projects that can meet the technological needs of enterprises and society, making a major contribution to the development of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.

Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo represented Singapore at the recently held G20 Digital Economy Ministers’ Meeting in Bali, Indonesia. She also attended the launch of the Digital Innovation Network (DIN), organised by the Indonesian Presidency, which brings together start-ups, venture capital firms (VCs) and governments in showcasing digital innovations and aims to develop a G20 database of digital entrepreneurs.

As part of the Singapore delegation, several start-ups and VCs from the nation also attended the DIN. The Minister showed a shared commitment to navigating the post-pandemic recovery through a digital transformation during the G20 Digital Ministers’ Meeting.

“Going digital had helped many of our SMEs deal with disruptions in supply chains and manpower shortages during the pandemic, and the challenge now is to keep up this momentum of digital transformation, amidst many other pressing demands,” says Minister Josephine. She has discussed some of Singapore’s initiatives for using digitalization as an engine for development.

To establish a strong and resilient communications network to support business and innovation, the country has consistently invested in digital infrastructure. Singapore will be the first nation in the world to extend public 5G standalone coverage to the sea to promote innovation and real-time data exchanges in the marine sector. Singapore is on target to achieve statewide 5G standalone outdoor coverage by 2025 or sooner.

To enable SMEs to immediately integrate into the digital ecosystem, the country has supported them and created a core set of digital utilities that businesses may utilise, such as e-invoicing and e-payments.

Additionally, the nation has promoted the development of an open and inclusive network of international alliances to open new economic prospects, including by developing the first Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs) to ease digital trade with its partners.

Data is a resource that supports the global digital economy, especially when data flows across borders in terms of data governance and cross-border data flow. It promotes creativity and increases efficiency. To minimise risks and potential harm to citizens and society, it is also necessary to make sure that there are strong data governance norms in place.

Depending on the various systems of administration and societal beliefs, each nation will need to strike its own special balance between these opposing goals. However, even though their data protection or privacy laws may differ, it is crucial that efforts be made to improve system interoperability to create a network that is open to all users and prevent fragmentation between nations and regions.

Additionally, Singapore has been working with partners throughout the world to help transition talks from general concepts to concrete action: The Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) system, the ASEAN Data Management Framework (DMF) and other useful tools that permit system interoperability and the safe and secure flow of data were developed and promoted.

The Nationwide Digital Trust Centre is a national initiative to concentrate on important trust technology issues. They are also looking into how Privacy Enhancing Technologies, or PETs, might help firms use data more effectively without disclosing sensitive personal information. For example, the country has just created a PET sandbox, with the intention that the lessons learned would contribute to the development of a more trusted and innovative data ecosystem.

Minister Josephine met with counterparts from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, and South Africa. The Minister underlined Singapore’s commitment to digital cooperation with her counterparts during these bilateral discussions, and they addressed new areas of engagement such as data and AI governance, digital government, cybersecurity, and combating phishing and spoofing schemes.

The Vietnam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency, under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, is now using QR codes for genuine product authentication. The technology has been put into operation to support and encourage people and businesses to use digital solutions to prevent counterfeit goods in e-commerce transactions.

A representative from the Agency’s informatics and digital technology centre, Do Dinh Tan, stated that the application allows consumers to retrieve information about the origin of products and when they purchased goods. This offers transparent information and prevents the sale of counterfeit and low-quality products.

The system is expected to help end the fear of counterfeit and imitation goods using technology and it also creates a foundation for applying more digital technologies in e-commerce transactions. Through the system, businesses and consumers can easily connect regarding warranty process information and promotions. This will create trust among customers and protect the reputations of products and businesses, helping them conquer foreign markets which usually have strict authentication requirements via QR Code. The system is also a useful tool for state management agencies to manage and control the commodities market, Tan said.

The Vietnam e-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency assists the Minister of Industry and Trade in the state management and law enforcement of e-commerce and digital economy activities. The Agency participates in drawing up and reviewing legal documents, strategies, plans, mechanisms, and policies to support and develop e-commerce. It receives and handles the registration, notification, and granting of permits for e-commerce activities.

The Agency sets out to establish and operate the essential infrastructure for e-commerce and digital economy building, including architectural frameworks and common technical platforms for business models that apply digital technologies.

Vietnam’s digital economy revenue reached US$ 53 billion in the first quarter of this year, according to a report by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) from April. The digital economy is made up of the information communication technology (ICT) digital economy, the Internet digital economy, and the digital economy of industries. In the first quarter of this year, the Internet digital economy’s growth rate was 28%, reaching US$8 billion in revenues. The ICT digital economy and digital economy of industries each had average revenue growth rates of about 15%. By the end of February, the number of newly-established digital technology enterprises reached 65,329, an increase of 487 enterprises compared to 2021.

Regarding the e-government, as of April, the National Public Service Portal integrated 3,552 online public services, creating favourable conditions for people and businesses. In the first quarter of this year, the portal registered more than 167,000 accounts, synchronised over 14 million records, and clocked 163,000 online payment transactions worth US$15.9 million. Further, earlier this year, the country deployed a nationwide electronic invoice system and, according to the tax authority, it has currently received and processed 77.7 million e-invoices. MIC’s report also revealed that human resource training for digital transformation has been a government priority. Nearly 1,000 officials and civil servants have been trained so far. About 10,000 government personnel are expected to be trained by October.

© 2022 OpenGov Asia – CIO Network Pte Ltd.