Singapore steps in to foster media sector

By Sumathi Bala

Published: April 16 2009 02:10 | Last updated: April 16 2009 02:10


Singapore’s ambition to be a leading media centre received a boost recently, when Koei entertainment, a Japanese game developer, announced plans to expand its operations there.

Four years since establishing a studio in the city-state, Koei is hoping to add up to 60 staff over the next two years.

EDITOR’S CHOICE
Careers Asia: Taiwan’s workers opt for more qualifications - Apr-02.Careers Asia: Lucky country feeling the employment pinch - Mar-26.Careers Asia: Philippines jumps to help its workers abroad - Mar-19.Careers Asia: Macao’s casino jobs are no longer a safe bet - Mar-12.Careers Asia: Huge tasks for Afghanistan stability advisers - Feb-26.Careers Asia: South Korea starts a round of belt-tightening - Feb-19..“The company has achieved its business objectives,” says Keiko Erikawa, founder and chairman emeritus of Koei.

“But we want to move ahead. I will not be satisfied until we further strengthen the development capabilities of the studio, both in quantity and in quality.

“Our objective is to groom a pool of talented and passionate developers who want to do Singapore proud and work relentlessly towards creating best-selling titles targeted at the global audience.”

The company is on a recruitment drive, welcoming even fresh graduates and will be sending recruits to Japan for specialised training.

Like Koei, several other leading media companies are ramping up their operations in the city-state. Ubisoft of France, which employs 70 people in Singapore, expects to increase its staff to 300 in the near term.

The company is reported to be looking for talented programmers, graphic artists, animators and game designers.

In terms of private sector training, many organisations are offering a wide range of opportunities to hone skills.

For instance, Lucasfilm’s animation studio in Singapore – its first venture outside the US – has been running apprenticeship programmes to train artists and engineers.

The new media industries, which include game developers, animators and other related digital specialists, are projected to generate 10,000 jobs and more than S$10bn in value by 2015.

These developments bode well for Singapore, as they provide a silver lining to an otherwise grim job market, which has seen lay-offs and hiring freezes as a result of the global slowdown.

Lee Boon Yang, minister of information, communications and the arts (MICA) made the case at a recent media event.

“Despite the recession and retrenchments, demand for creative talent remains robust, with companies still on the lookout for good staff,” he said

Policymakers say there are plenty of opportunities for those seeking a career in the media. In the near term, 300 skilled jobs and more than 400 apprenticeships are on offer within the creative industries.

Another 450 jobs will come over the next one to two years for start-ups within the interactive and digital media sector.

Moreover, up to 6,000 individuals are expected to receive media training this year.

Christopher Chia, chief executive of the Media Development Authority (MDA), says: “The whole idea is really a continuum of skills, from very experienced people who need to upgrade to people thinking of moving into the sector.

“So it’s a matter of conversion skills as well.”

In spite of the promising opportunities in the media, the tough economic climate has put a damper on business ventures. Increasingly risk-averse investors, for instance, have become less willing to finance media projects.

This has prompted policymakers to intervene to stimulate the market. The government announced last month that it would provide an unprecedented S$250m to help promising local media companies, such as documentary producers, music groups and video game developers, fund their projects.

The amount, which is much larger than the S$180m injected last year, underscores the commitment by the authorities to sustain the media sector amid the economic downturn, explains the MDA.

The authorities hope the cash injection will offset the expected dip in revenue faced over the next year or two.

The money would be used to co-fund 200 to 300 new projects over the course of the year, with the aim of creating 2,000 jobs and strengthening the industry.

Under the scheme, smaller high-risk research and development ideas could receive outright grants. For large-scale productions such as feature films, the government will co-invest and share in the receipts if the production makes money.

Financing aside, the MDA is also facilitating efforts to help the media industry in other ways, from holding training workshops to matchmaking film producers with suitable foreign film distributors.

Unlike other export-oriented industries, such as manufacturing and retail, whose fortunes are closely tied to the volatility and fluctuations of the global economy, Singapore’s media sector has been a source of steady growth. The sector has expanded from S$3.8bn in 2002 to an estimated S$5.28bn in 2008.

Compound annual growth from 1996 to 2006 was 8 per cent, against 5.2 per cent for the overall economy, according to the MDA. The sector employs almost 60,000 people.

Perhaps more importantly, the government initiatives are reflective of Singapore’s aim to rely less on conventional sectors. Developing new engines of growth bolsters against downturns.

In these difficult times, the media sector is a bright spot in a gloomy job market.
.Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009