MDEC TO HOST ADCS 2025 IN JOHOR TO BOOST ASEAN DIGITAL CONTENT
JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Digital, through Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), will host the ASEAN Digital Content Summit (ADCS 2025) from Sept 2 to 4 at Persada Johor International Convention Centre here, aiming to boost Southeast Asia’s creative digital economy and position Johor as a regional hub.
Organised with the Johor State Government under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025, the summit will gather over 50 global and regional thought leaders, more than 100 exhibitors and buyers, and country pavilions from upwards of 10 nations.
MDEC chief executive officer Anuar Fariz Fadzil said the summit would act as a catalyst for the region’s creative economy.
“ADCS 2025 is not just a summit – it is a game-changer and marks Johor’s bold leap towards becoming the beating heart of ASEAN’s digital content revolution. By bringing together the region’s innovators, storytellers and technology leaders, we are thrusting Johor into the spotlight as the epicentre of gaming, animation and immersive content,” he said in a statement today.
Anuar added that hosting the summit in Johor Bahru, against the backdrop of the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ), underscored the state’s rising role as a hub for creative industries and cross-border collaboration.
“With Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025 as our strategic advantage, and the Johor–Singapore SEZ as our launchpad, Johor is poised to attract investments, develop world-class talent and drive collaborations that will elevate ASEAN’s creative economy globally,” he said.
The summit will open on Sept 2 with the ASEAN Roundtable, a high-level dialogue to deepen partnerships among ASEAN member states in animation, gaming and creative technology, strengthening the region’s standing as a global creative hub.
Koji Morimoto, co-founder of Japan’s Studio 4°C and a visionary behind the acclaimed anime 'Akira', will headline keynote sessions on innovation and storytelling.
The Kre8tif! Business Xchange will connect ASEAN creators with local and international broadcasters, distributors and investors through pitching and matchmaking sessions, while the exhibition hall will showcase digital content from more than 100 companies and pavilions representing Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and other ASEAN nations.
ADCS 2025 will also feature 50 global technical papers and over 60 university projects and intellectual properties, giving students the chance to present their work and engage with industry leaders.
The initiative is organised with KL Chapter Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques (ACM SIGGRAPH) and the Digital Innovation Creativepreneur (DICE 3.0) programme.
Public visitors can enjoy e-sports tournaments, outdoor screenings of BoBoiBoy Movie 2 and Out of the Nest, exclusive merchandise giveaways and family activities at B5 Johor Street Market, a lifestyle hub named after Batu Lima (Fifth Mile).
The Malaysia Animation Film Festival (MAFF) will close the summit on Sept 4 before nationwide screenings at selected Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) from Oct 16.
Admission is free. For details, visit mdec.my/adcs2025.
-- BERNAMA
