- Sarawak is 2023 host as M’sia becomes 2nd country to host WCIT thrice
- Penang believes WCIT 2022 has positioned it as global innovation hub
The 26th World Congress on Innovation and Technology 2022 (WCIT 2022) came to its grand conclusion in Penang yesterday evening, officially becoming 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 (online and in person) 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 Southeast Asia, but also with the rest of the world.
Among those signed yesterday 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 agreements will serve Malaysia in multiple ways, National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) Chairman Dr Sean Seah (pic) 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. Malaysia has 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.
Chief Minister of Penang, Chow Kon Yeow (pic), said, “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.”
A satellite event during WCIT22 was the 5 SEADragon Unicorn competition with the winners announced during the closing. They are Angkasa-X Innovation, iHeal Medical Group, Magnus Games Studio, MDT Innovations, ReSkills Edtech, SkyeChip, Swift Bridge Technologies (M) and WeAssist.
Prior to WCIT 2022, Pikom conducted training sessions to select and prepare these Malaysian high-growth startups for a chance to pitch their businesses.
While WCIT 2022 has closed its curtain, TechFest 2022 continues 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.