SOME of the world's top names in the industry have joined together to set up Asia's first Interactive Digital Centre (IDC Asia) at the Temasek Polytechnic (TP), further boosting Singapore's hopes of becoming a digital media and entertainment (DME) capital.

The centre will also serve as the Asia headquarters of the IDC Consortium. The consortium is a grouping of top companies in the digital media field whose goal is to establish a de facto standard for real-time visualisation solutions worldwide.

The founding members of the IDC Consortium consist of major players in the graphics industry - nVidia, Philips, Microsoft, Christie Digital, HP (Hewlett Packard) and EON Reality.

Singapore is well positioned to become a DME hub. Digital business revenues in Singapore has grown from $1.8 billion in 2005 to $2.1 billion last year, according to a Frost & Sullivan report.

The digital media sector has successfully leveraged on Singapore's high-speed connectivity, which allows seamless transfers of digital goods and services from and through Singapore to the rest of the world.

Situated at Temasek Polytechnic's engineering school, the IDC Asia centre will house state-of-the-art innovative 3D technologies and laboratories for industry project development, training and research.

The chief executive of the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore, Chan Yeng Kit, inaugurated the centre late last week. Apart from Temasek Polytechnic, EON Reality and IM Innovations are involved in setting up IDC Asia.

EON is the world's leading interactive 3D software provider. IM Innovations offers digital media, interactive and 3D visualisation solutions to educators, students and professionals.

Speaking at the launch, Temasek Polytechnic principal and chief executive officer Boo Kheng Hua said that IDC Asia is the eighth IDC worldwide and the first in Asia. There are five IDCs in Europe and two in North America.

Mr Boo said that the grouping enables the establishment of de facto standards. For example, an EON application would be able to run on a Microsoft platform using an HP Computer, Philips LCD Monitor, Christie Digital's Projection System and nVidia graphics cards.

'In addition to being the first IDC in Asia, the Singapore IDC is unique as it will serve as the Asian HQ for the IDC Consortium,' he added.

IDC Asia will complement the EON research and development (R&D) centre which will be set up at Fusionopolis.

'Having both EON R&D centre and IDC Asia in Singapore will ensure that the entire value chain spanning R&D, product and content development, system integration, pilot test-bedding and market development will all be done in Singapore,' Mr Boo said.

IDA's Mr Chan said that with robust infrastructure, high-speed connectivity and a strategic geographic location, Singapore is well placed to be a global digital media and entertainment (DME) capital by 2015.

'The establishment of IDC Asia will spur the growth of DME businesses as Singapore strengthens itself as a DME capital offering innovative content, services and technologies to the world,' he said.

He added that within the next few years, when Singapore's Next-Generation National Broadband Network is ready, businesses can tap a new gigabit-class network to create even more innovations, and realise greater growth opportunities, that are possible today.

'Exciting times are ahead in the digital world. And we welcome companies the likes of EON Reality and IM Innovations, to use Singapore as a base, and the hub for digital initiatives.'

A key thrust of IDA's 10-year iN2015 master plan is to help create and commercialise DME technologies.

IDA's support will help Temasek Polytechnic accelerate the training of local infocomm manpower to use emerging digital media technologies such as 3D visualisation.

Temasek Polytechnic, in partnership with IM Innovations started the 3D Media Studio in September 2005 as a first foray into digital media.

IDC Asia will help Singapore fulfil its ambition to become a global interactive digital media capital, Mr Boo said.