Called the Singapore Media Fusion Plan (SMFP), the new roadmap builds on the previous Media 21 plan and will pave the country's transition to a trusted creative economy, especially in Asia.

The blueprint unveiled at Broadcast Asia 2009 laid out three strategies to propel the local media sector forward.

While the first strategy is aimed at providing the best environment for media business, the second will leverage on research and development to help the media sector exploit new opportunities in the digital media value chain.

The third sets goals for Singapore to stay connected to the world to enhance the international appeal of locally made content, applications and services.

'The media sector is in the midst of dynamic change, driven by convergence and the rise of Asia as a content powerhouse and one of the most influential markets in the world,' said Dr Christopher Chia, the CEO of Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA).

'The Singapore Media Fusion Plan is our response to the altered global landscape.'

About $230 million will be spent to drive the initiatives - 40 per cent more than the Media 21 budget.

Among the initiatives, MDA and telecommunications provider SingTel have formed a strategic partnership to boost the media distribution capabilities of Singapore. SingTel's Broadcast Innovation Centre (BIC) will be liked to Mediapolis@one-north to form a powerful communications gateway such that major media centres in the world will be able to receive locally-produced content via satellite and terrestrial fibre networks.

More training programmes to develop media professional talents in Singapore will be rolled out.

Ties-ups between SingTel and Ngee Ann Polytechnic as well as the National University of Singapore's Interactive and Digital media Institute (IDMI) have been outlined to boost R&D capabilities and students' skills through work exposure with international media firms.

Also being planned is a FutureTV network between major players of the interactive digital media industry.

This will enable partners to leverage on each other's capabilities and resources to fuel innovation in the industry.

Under the arrangement, Singapore will be used as a test-bed for innovative services that will shape a new generation of visual media experiences that will see greater interactivity and personalisation in the consumption of content.

A call for proposals from Singapore technology and media companies to submit ideas for the management of the visual media system in anticipation of future challenges has been made.

'SMFP gears up Singapore companies to respond to the fresh opportunities in today's new world order by enabling the creation of New Asia Media, be it content, services or applications, that resonate with the world, whilst leveraging on Singapore's strengths and strategic location as an East-West gateway,' said Dr Chia.