Bangkok, Thailand – Singularity University (SU), the acclaimed collective of thinkers and innovators from Silicon Valley that focuses on empowering leaders to transform industries and solving global challenges through exponential technologies has announced its first summit in Southeast Asia. The SingularityU Thailand Summit 2018 will be held at the InterContinental Bangkok on 19th June and 20th June, 2018. SingularityU Thailand Summit 2018 will be among the first series of events and initiatives from Exponential Social Enterprise Co., Ltd., an organization that is aiming to accelerate Thailand’s potentials for growth beyond existing economic models and social development.
Dr. John Leslie Millar, the Head of Exponential Social Enterprise Co., Ltd., said: “With success since its launch in 2008, Singularity University has been the staple of the global innovation community. Having its focus on bringing the positive changes to the world through the use of exponential thinking and solving global challenges, SingularityU summits are known for being the main stimuli for real changes and solutions. For almost a decade, SingularityU events have brought together top leaders and experts in a series of events, conferences and education programs, to provoke meaningful discussions, and actions that will make real impacts to businesses, industries, societies and global communities.”
During the two-day summit, the SingularityU Thailand Summit 2018 will tap into how fundamental changes in thinking affect broader implications of technological advancements, and how the combined impact of these transitions will transform everything around daily lives.
Participants can expect topics such as: Disruptive Thinking, The History and Future of Artificial Intelligence, The Future of Digital Health and Medicine, The Future of Energy, Finance of Tomorrow and Global Grand Challenges
During the announcement event at Bangkok’s FYI Center on 20 March 2018, representatives from top Thailand businesses, including Ananda Development, SCB, Deloitte, and the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) joined a panel to discuss the exponential growth potential in Thailand and beyond.
Chanond Ruangkritya, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ananda Development PCL, said: “Ananda Development has a vision and commitment towards continuously improving the lives of urban-dwellers. At the transformational age, the real estate sector is also undergoing massive disruption as a result of rapid changes in customer lifestyles and demographic shifts, and the ever-increasing need for better and faster data access to allow for improved products, services and facilities. The ultimate aim is to utilize exponential technologies to further develop this quality of life in all aspects of modern living, covering safety, speed and convenience in the areas of housing, commuting, working, health and personal finance.”
Orapong Thien-ngern, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Ventures – The Fintech Subsidiary of SCB, said, “The financial industry is being rocked by exponential technologies from blockchain, artificial intelligence, big data, quantum computing.” As a fintech arm of SCB, we’ve committed in driving changes in banking industry through innovation, investment and supporting Thai businesses to grow with SCB. Our research and development are based on those key technologies, resulting in the development of new services and enhancement of customer experience for both SCB and its customers. In a world of exponential technology innovation, one of the most pressing questions in the minds of many business executives and entrepreneurs is what’s coming next? For years, Deloitte and Singularity University (SU) have worked together to provide answers and help business leaders prepare for what’s coming next – from idea to execution,” added Dr. Janson Yap, Asia Pacific Leader, Deloitte Global Risk Advisory and Innovation Practice Leader, Deloitte Southeast Asia.
Dr. Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, Director of the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), said that in an era where innovations are a major driving force for the country’s economy, it is time for the public and private sectors to collaborate and drive Thailand towards exponential growth through technologies.
“It is also necessary to develop a foundation to approach community enterprises and healthcare services, and develop digital human resources at all levels to drive the country with exponential technology,” he added. For Thailand, it is time to leverage Thailand 4.0 from a direction for strategic framework to the real solution for future challenges,” said Dr. Millar. “For Southeast Asia, it is time for us as a community to realize our potential and step away from our position as the regional hub for innovations. However, the first step to be taken is to help leaders and decision-makers in government and private sectors to understand what exponential technology is, how it has been the key catalyst in the global transformation for the past decade, and visualize what the future would look like with the exponential thinking mindset”
Dr. Supachai Parchariyanon of the SingularityU Bangkok Chapter and the founder of RISE, one of Thailand’s largest corporate innovation accelerators were also present at the press event. He said the aim of SingularityU Summits is to inspire changes by exposing new questions about the impact of innovation on productivity, talent, industries and public policy.
“It has been our aim for the Summit to mark the ‘before and after’ picture for the places we visit, and for Thailand. We hope this will spearhead a series of initiatives that will foster innovation in Thailand’s industries,” he added.
SingularityU Thailand Summit is supported by leading Thai and international organizations, including Ananda Development, SCB, Deloitte, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), National Innovation Agency (NIA), Startup Thailand, and Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Thailand chapter.
Examples of speakers include:
- David Roberts, Vice President of Singularity University and one of the world’s top experts on disruptive and exponential technology
- John Hagel, Co-Chair of World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Platforms and Systems and Co-Chairman of the Deloitte Center for the Edge
- Daniel Kraft, Chair of Singularity University’s Exponential Medicine and a Stanford and Harvard trained physician-scientist
- Vivienne Ming, Theoretical Neuroscientist and a Co-Founder of Socos, a company that combines machine learning, cognitive neuroscience and economics to maximize life outcomes in education and the workplace.
- Ramez Naam, Computer Scientist, Futurist, Angel Investor and award-winning Author.
- Mandy Simpson, Chief Executive at Wellington-based consultancy Cyber Toa.
- Nathaniel Calhoun, Managing Director of Singularity University’s Global Solutions Program (GSP) and Vice-Chair of Global Grand Challenges.
For more information and ticket sales, visit the SingularityU Thailand Summit 2018 website at http://www.singularityuthailandsummit.org/
