KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Tech Month 2021 (MTM 2021) from today until Aug 30 is expected to bring RM50 million worth of opportunities to the country as it draws more than 20,000 participants from over 50 countries, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.

He said the month-long virtual event organised by the ministry together with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is part of a massive concerted effort in line with Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL) and the National Fourth Industrial Revolution Policy to develop Malaysia into a high-tech nation by 2030.

"MTM 2021 is a month-long, carefully curated programme that will be a space for the public and private sector to engage in conversations surrounding digital and technology - to engage and create ideas that further reinforce Malaysia's position in the region's digital economy," he said when launching the event virtually today.

The minister said 40 programmes across the month will explore key topics and issues surrounding Malaysia's digital economy, including Islamic Fintech, the agriculture technology sector (agritech), artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), drone technology, e-Commerce and the digital creative content industry.

Saifuddin said the launch of the second edition of the MTM is a testament to the ministry's goal to ensure that the technology serves the benefits of the people and ensuring equitable opportunities for the many as the country navigates unprecedented and new socio-economic norms and radical disruptions to business and life.

Meanwhile, MDEC in a statement said MTM 2021 features internationally-renowned speakers such as futurist and best-selling author Prof. Dr. Michio Kaku; Renault Group chief scientific officer and Apple Siri co-creator Dr Luc Julia; Bukalapak co-founder Muhamad Fajrin Rasyid; and Aerodyne Group founder and chief executive officer Kamarul A Muhamed.

Also, more than 300 local and international industry speakers and investors will take part in the event throughout the month as they will be sharing their thoughts and experiences through a variety of keynotes, workshops, discussion panels and matching sessions.

MDEC said MTM 2021 is aligned to its recently-unveiled Digital Investments Future5 (DIF5) Strategy - a five-year plan focusing on five key thrusts aimed at attracting investments and advancing Malaysia's digital economy in line with MyDIGITAL.

MDEC chairman Datuk Dr Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff said MTM 2021 will help to achieve the DIF5 goals by driving conversations within key industry sectors such as FinTech and Islamic Digital Economy, as well as fostering regional and global collaborations through business matching and investment facilitation.

"This will act as a catalyst of enabling our vision of Malaysia 5.0, a nation deeply integrated with technology, providing equitable digital opportunities to the people and businesses," he said.

-- BERNAMA