OSMEP, Silpakorn University launch “2nd Digital Content Cluster Day"

The annual  contest is the premier tool in support of the Thai digital content industry under a 2018-2019 initiative.
Aiming for a strong and sustainable digital content industry, the initiative has drawn backing from the Digital Content Association of Thailand (DCAT) in collaboration with the university's professors and industry experts.
Luckana Tungjitnob, director of the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP), said digital content plays a role in almost every industry today. It also can be applied endlessly and expanded in various fields of business. It is considered an important industry in all countries as it requires human resources and technologies to work effectively. The industry could become a growth driver of the Thai economy, given support in the global market.
OSMEP and Silpakorn University together with  several community partners jointly orgnaised  the first  "Digital Content Cluster Day" last year to promote the industry's potential.  The event featured business matching and other activities under the SMEs Cluster initiative.
It strives to strengthen the Thai economy through promoting and supporting SMEs, the key enabling element for growth. The development of entrepreneurs through creating a strong group or network under the concept of cluster development is a tool of OSMEP in support of SMEs. 
It stimulates the link between entrepreneurs to meet market demands, as well as helping them to compete in the domestic and international markets by adopting innovation and technology in the development of products and services. It also hasten the development of  marketing channels proactively through  activities,  creating awareness of Thai products among local and foreign consumers.
To improve workers' skills, Thai Digital Content Cluster provides training in Character Design and Licensing, Character Merchandising, Animation IP, Animation Services, and CG Services.
Asst Prof Nathaporn Karnjanapoomi, Silpakorn University said “In order to maximise benefits of the policy of promotion, support, and academic cooperation between organisations to transfer and exchange knowledge, the university has had a curriculum to develop digital content personnel for more than 15 years. We believe in creating workers possessing the  knowledge of design, marketing, and digital media creation". 
Moreover, the exchange of  knowledge and activities  in this event will help Thai industries develop the capability of  digital content. To expand abroad, the initiative also calls for human resource development to meet future needs of the industry.
The outstanding work in  this year's event is Hey Buddy, an animation created by Big Brain Pictures Company Limited that is one of the selected work from Thailand Animation Pitch 2018 (TAP) in the Digital Network Development category, under the SMEs Network Support Project. Success of the first event organised by OSMEP in collaboration with Silpakorn University had led to  the Asian Animation Summit 2018 (AAS 2018), sponsored by the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) with the Association of Thai Animation and Computer Graphic Operators (TACGA) as  coordinator.
Hey Buddy is considered a successes of all the parties involved - the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) under the Office of Business Development and Services, Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Agency (OSMEP), Silpakorn University, Big Brain Picture Company Limited, Toonz media group and Thai Animation and Computer Graphic Entrepreneurs Association (TACGA) including Cartoon Club Media Company Limited, a marketing arm of  Big Brain Picture for trading, negotiation and public relations
Based on a survey by the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), the Thai industry is forecast to be worth Bt27,005 million last year, and expected to reach Bt30,000 million by the end of 2019, driven by the growth of digital media and the digital content industry.