Depa 2020 showcase to highlight elderly, young

Next year’s flagship tech showcase and symposium of the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa), known as Digital Thailand Big Bang, will be geared towards the elderly and young generations.

Digital Thailand Big Bang 2020 will have the theme “Futurist & Silver Economy”, said Depa president and chief executive Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin.

The number of people aged 60 and over in Thailand rises 1% every year, which is a challenge for the economy, he said.

People under 25 hold the country’s future and must learn about and adopt tech quickly.

According to the National Statistic Office, the country has 10.6 million people aged 60 and over, and 15.2 million children and youth.

“If Gen Z can upgrade its digital capability and the elderly can reskill and upskill themselves through courses, it will make the country’s ageing trend an easier transition,” Mr Nuttapon said.

As the population becomes older in Thailand, this creates business opportunities for the pharmaceutical industry, hospitals, health tech, ICT products and services, health food and drinks, nursing care and retirement facilities.

Digital Thailand Big Bang, an annual event, began in 2017. The 2017 event was held under the theme of Transformation, followed by Big Data in 2018 and Asean Connectivity in 2019.

This year’s four-day event, which ended Oct 31, attracted almost 50,000 participants, including 12,826 who attended seminars. It convened at Bitec in 40,000 square metres of space.

Some 534,000 people watched the programme through online platforms.

Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta said Digital Thailand Big Bang serves as a bridge connecting the public with technology and gives people an opportunity to experience a range of digital technologies.

The event showcases Thailand’s capability to embark on digital transformation, thus boosting business confidence and attracting foreign investment, he said.

“A high-value-added economy is needed to kick-start the country,” Mr Buddhipongse said.

He said Depa plans to produce 40,000 digitally skilled workers a year to serve the country’s digital development.

The scheme will involve launching training programmes in collaboration with academies.

The government is also in the process of developing a 700-rai Digital Park Project in Chon Buri to cater to tech developers.